Effect of aging time on the sustainability of microstructure, corrosion, and mechanical of Al6061

Abstract

The high corrosion resistance of Al 6061 has made the material for wide applications. However, for its sustainability in applications, the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance have to be improved through modifications such as heat treatment. Therefore, the study investigates the influence of the aging time on the corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, and microstructure of the material after heat treatment. Al 6061 will be investigated at T0, T4, and T6- for 30 mins, 60 mins and 90 mins using water as the cooling media. The microstructure was observed using light microscope, the corrosion rate was determined by potentiostat using seawater as the electrolyte, and hardness was measured through Brinell’s scale and the tensile test machine to investigate its UTS and elongation. It was discovered that the samples quenched before aging had improved properties compared to the samples that were normalized. The colling method shows a greater impact on the properties of the material.