Effect of Preheating Temperature on the Microstructure and Tensile Properties of 6061 Aluminum Alloy Processed by Hot Rolling-Quenching

Abstract

The present work investigates the microstructure and tensile properties of a hot rolled 6061 alloy quenched by cold rolls (RQ) at different preheating temperatures. The preheating temperature strongly affects microstructure evolution and mechanical properties. Low preheating temperature (490 °C) resulted in both low strength and low elongation. The RQ alloy preheated at 540 °C exhibited improved ductility compared to those subjected to T6 and T8 temper, and comparable strength to that after T8 temper. The dynamic recovery during hot rolling contributed to the improved tensile elongation and retained work hardening. High preheating temperature also led to pronounced ageing hardening during short-term ageing.