Heat treating aluminum
I am planning on doing some testing of heat treating vs non treated samples, but heat treating aluminum is fairly complicated and depends on the alloy. I find conflicting info on the process. I have a new electric kiln and I can control temperature precisely, so I should be able to do a good job, I just have to decide on the temperatures. First, annealing I find: "Annealing should be done at 775°F for at 2 to 3 hours at temperature, followed by controlled cooling at 50°F per hour down to 500°F then air cooled." I can turn a sample out of the auto part (probably T7 alloy) like I did before and anneal it, then test it to see how much strength it loses. Then heat treating for T7 I find: "T7 520-545C for 4-8 hours, quench in 20C water, then age at 200-230C for 6-8 hours." I doubt aluminum can alloy will be affected by heat treatment, but I figure I'll try it at the same time. You guys agree on my numbers?
