INFLUENCE OF HEAT TREATMENT ON MICROSTRUCTURAL EVOLUTION AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AA6061 ALUMINUM ALLOY / TERMINIO APDOROJIMO ĮTAKA ALIUMINIO LYDINIO AA6061 MIKROSTRUKTŪRAI IR MECHANINĖMS SAVYBĖMS

Abstract

This study aims to understand the influence of heat treatment on behavior of AA6061 aluminum alloy at room temperature for various heat treatment. Two experimental parameters for this alloy are defined: micro hardness and the electrical resistivity, as a function of heat treatment at ambient temperature. The results show that the heat treatment conditions have an effective influence in mechanical properties of Al-Mg-Si aluminum alloy. This variation of the mechanical properties is the result of microstructural changes which have been observed using optical microscopy. When the material is subjected to a solution heat treatment followed by quenching and artificial aging, its mechanical properties, especially micro hardness and electrical resistivity, reach their highest levels and become very good compared to the other heat treatment applied to the same alloy.