THE EFFECT OF HOMOGENIZATION AND PRECIPITATION TREATMENTS ON THE EXTRUDABILITY AND AMBIENT-TEMPERATURE MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF ALUMINUM-ALLOY AA2024

This study determined the independent effects of various homogenizatio n cycles and precipitation treatments on the elevated temperature work ability and the final ambient temperature mechanical properties of alu minum alloy AA2024. The elevated-temperature tensile and extrusion tes ts indicate that the workability of AA2024 improves with elevated-temp erature precipitation treatments as suggested by earlier investigation s. The precipitation treatments do not appear to degrade the ambient-t emperature T3 and T8 tensile properties. The time at the precipitation temperature appears to affect the T3 and T8 tensile properties in hom ogenized ingot, longer times especially providing both relatively high ambient-temperature strength and ductility. The time at the standard homogenization temperature and the heat-up and cool-down rates do not dramatically affect the T3 tensile properties of homogenized ingot. Ho wever, long soak times (24 h) at the homogenization temperature and mo re rapid cooling rates (120-degrees-C h-1) may improve the properties somewhat.