Can aluminum be heat treated?

[SorryOciffer]

I have something I want machined from aluminum and whant to know if there is any benefit to have it heat treated like steel is? What should I look for in such a vendor if there is a benefit?

Thanks,
Bryan

 

[lgearhart]

Unlike most steels, aluminum alloys are machinable even after heat treating. So generally you buy them in the heat treated condition (-T6 or -T8 are peak aged, although for 7000 series alloys -T73 or -T74 have better stress corrosion cracking resistance) and then machine them.

 

[metman]

Like lgearhart says, you can buy it pre heat treated so you will not have to look for a vendor.

Yes there is a benefit to having it heat treated. Like in steel it will have higher strength in the heat treated condition.

 

[Tunalover]

These guys are right. Just buy what you need. You can't do much bettter than to machine something out of AL6061-T6; that alloy is strong and easily machined. There are some alloys that are heat treated AFTER they are shaped into a useful item e.g. dip brazed parts are dipped then quenched (heat treated). The material making up the part gets strength from the heat treating (quenching).



Tunalover

 

[rorschach]

there is one other reason why you would buy an alloy in the annealed condition and then heat treat it afterwards, and that is if you are welding on it or thermally processing it. then it MAY be useful to do that. not all alloys are weldable either, (7000 series for the most part.)

Not all aluminum alloys are heat treatable. some can only be strain hardened.

it just depends on the alloy you use and what you are going to do with it.