Heat treatments of EN AW 6082 aluminum forging alloy: effect on microstructure and mechanical properties

Aluminum components for structural applications, such as some automotive suspension parts, are usually made by forging. In this context, the use of aluminum EN AW 6082 alloy application for highly demanding structural components is increasing due to lightweighting needs. Anyway, its response to age hardening is still not well investigated and the information about the time-temperature parameters and the relative mechanical properties are generally scarcer. In order to extend the knowledge in this field, during the present research a Design Of Experiment methodology was applied and T6 and T5 heat treatment were analysed. Microstructural and mechanical behaviour were studied. The output of these experiments constitutes a useful database of the properties of EN AW 6082 alloy in the considered range of data. This information can be used for the designing of different structural components where either an optimization of the elongation or a maximum yield strength could be required depending on the specific application. The results also suggest that for many applications a T5 heat treatment, with high mechanical properties, a lower thickness of recrystalized area and a reduced cost, could be a good option.