Patent attributes
A method of providing solution heat treatment to an aluminum alloy. A non-isothermal process is used to provide a faster heat treatment cycle time while maintaining or further improving the alloy mechanical properties after subsequent aging hardening. The process includes establishing a temperature inside a processing vessel that is greater than a soaking temperature but less than a liquidus temperature of the alloy, rapidly heating the alloy to the soaking temperature in a first heating operation, reducing the temperature inside of the processing vessel to the soaking temperature, then heating the alloy to a temperature above the soaking temperature through a gradually increasing temperature in a second heating operation. Protocols for the improved solution heat treatment may be based on one or more of computational thermodynamics, dissolution kinetics and coarsening kinetics.
