Iranian Journal of  Manufacturing Engineering

Iranian Journal of Manufacturing Engineering

Improvement in mechanical properties of 2024 Al alloy through combination of heat treatment and cold rolling

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract
AA2024 alloy has high strength but low formability. Therefore there is a difficulty during forming processes of the alloy such as rolling, because high capacity of rolling machine is required. So, achievements in good mechanical properties in this alloy besides the improvement in ductility during cold rolling are the main challenges for industries. The objective of this paper is to improve mechanical properties of 2024 aluminum alloy by using a combination of cold rolling and precipitation hardening. To do this, the hot rolled strip of the alloy first solutionized at495 ̊C for an hour and immediately quenched in cold water. The samples were then subjected to 15, 30 and 50 percent reduction by rolling at room temperatures. The cold worked samples were then natural aged for a week. The tensile test and Brinell hardness test were conducted and microstructural study was carried out by metallography. The results indicate that, the 30% cold rolled sample has the maximum strength and hardness in comparison to the T4 or T3 samples.