Abstract
In the present work we report on the effect of pre-deformation followed by/together with artificial aging on the mechanical properties as strength, ductility and work hardening of an Al-Mg-Si alloy (AA6060). The AA6060 alloy was initially cast, homogenized and extruded according to standard industrial practice. The extruded material was then subjected to a solution heat treatment and subsequently artificially aged after (sequential mode) and during (simultaneous mode) various combinations of deformation (0-10%) and heat treatments. The aging behaviour and mechanical properties have been characterized in terms of Vickers hardness and tensile testing. It is found that small, even very small, pre-deformations strongly affect the aging behaviour and associated tensile properties. Moreover, it is found, that with the carefully chosen parameters of simultaneous deformation and aging one can reach mechanical properties superior to those following pre-deformation and subsequent aging (sequential mode). The results are compared and discussed in view of differences in processing conditions and microstructure characteristics.
