Chapter 3 - Influence of Heat Treatment Upon Microstructure of Casting Aluminum Alloys

Abstract

Casting aluminum alloys can be subjected to different kinds of heat treatment (homogenizing to remove residual stress, heterogenizing, solution heat treatment with subsequent quench, F and T5 tempers, etc.). Sometimes aging of castings can be conducted without prior quench (e.g., the T5 temper) using the effect of supersaturation of Al-based solid solution in the course of nonequilibrium solidification. In certain cases (particularly often after casting under pressure), aluminum alloys can be used without any heat treatment (i.e., in the F-temper). This is the foundation of the so-called CTS (cast–trim–ship) production approach that becomes more and more wide spread.