Posted: 11/7/2004 2:29:19 PM EDT
|
Discuss why a very thick aluminum part and very thin aluminum part, given the same precipitation heat treatment, would not have the same results through each parts cross-section. Which type of age hardening (natural or artificial) would give the best strength uniformity for the least amount of time for the two types of aluminum parts, explain. Thanks for the help. Scott |
|
It's obvious that the cooling rates are going to be different for the thicker parts vs. the thinner parts. Does aluminum crystallize like steel? If so, I'd guess larger, harder crystals in the thicker parts. When annealing glass, you have to deal with this stuff all the time. However, glass isn't as good of a heat conductor as aluminum. Am I close? Haven't a clue on aging techniques, unfortunately. |
| The amount of time that it takes for a part to go from solid solution to ambient or the desired final quench temp will vary with different thickness of material. You would use a different quench sequence, medium and duration for both parts. Natural or artificial aging will depend on the final use of the part. The precipitation hardening will be faster on the thin cross section than the thick, that cant be changed. |
