Effect of Temperature and Aging Time on 2024 Aluminum Behavior

This study is a follow-up of previous work by the authors on the effects of processing variables on the deformation and fracture of 2024-T4 aluminum. In the previous work, four variables were incorporated into a Design of Experiments methodology: solution temperature, solution time, cooling rate and natural aging time. Solution time and cooling rate were found to be the most significant factors on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the alloy. In the current work, these variables are held constant to ascertain the relative effects of the solution temperature and aging time on material properties. Unlike the previous study, neither solution temperature nor aging time clearly dominate the measured effects. Comparisons of the current results with the previous study as well as work on 6061-T6 aluminum are made. Integration of the results of the present work into a general study of the ductile fracture behavior of aluminum alloys, involving both experimental and numerical techniques, is outlined.