The natural aging process of aluminum forgings refers to an inevitable phenomenon in the production process where the hardness and strength of the aluminum forgings will increase over time at room temperature, typically lasting for a few days to a few weeks. This natural aging process plays a very important role in improving the performance of aluminum forgings. In this article, we will illustrate the natural aging process of aluminum forgings through a real-life production case.
After undergoing multiple processes such as heating, insulation, forging, and annealing treatment, various aluminum forgings were obtained in a certain aluminum forging plant using MG6 aluminum ingots. Among them, a batch of aluminum forgings measuring 600mm x 350mm x 100mm, after 5 days of natural aging, showed significant improvement in hardness and tensile strength. Measurement data indicated that after 5 days, the hardness of the aluminum forgings increased from HB65 to HB75, and the tensile strength increased from 280MPa to 300MPa. At this point, the performance of the aluminum forgings are more outstanding and can be applied in a wider range of fields.
The natural aging process of aluminum forgings is mainly due to the microstructural changes that occur within the aluminum forgings, including recombination of grain boundaries and the formation of precipitates, which lead to an increase in hardness and strength. Different factors, such as material properties, shapes, processing techniques, and exposure environments will all have an impact on the natural aging of aluminum forgings. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a reasonable aluminum forging natural aging treatment plan based on specific situations in practical production.
