Evaluation of Aluminum Alloy Heat Treatment using Fractography

Abstract

Aluminum alloys are used in various critical aerospace applications that require properties that are obtained from very specific heat treatments. The fracture surface of an aluminum alloy can indicate details of the thermal history of the component, and may provide the necessary information to the failure analyst to determine if the proper heat treatment was conducted. This study evaluated the effect of varying the cooling rate and aging time on the fracture surface of 7050 and 7075 aluminum alloys. Samples were heat treated at various cooling rates and aging times and tested to failure in uniaxial tension. Fractography was conducting using a scanning electron microscope. The ductile dimple size was correlated with the measured tensile strength. The results of this study can be used by the failure analyst to determine the heat treatment and tensile strength of a 7050 or 7075 aluminum alloy component that failed in tension.

Meeting Name

2004 ASM Materials Solutions Conference and Show (2004: Oct. 18-20, Columbus, OH)

Department(s)

Materials Science and Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Aluminum Alloys; Fractography; Aluminum Alloys; Fractography

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2004 ASM International, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Oct 2004

Link to Full Text

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