Effect of T6 Treatment Parameters of AlZn10Si7MgCu Alloy on Change of its Hardness and Impact Strength

Among alloys of non-ferrous metals, aluminum alloys have found the widest application in foundry industry as a competitive alternative of ferroalloys. One from methods to improve mechanical properties of aluminum alloys is a heat treatment consisting in heating a material to solutioning temperature, keeping the material in such temperature, and subsequent rapid cooling and natural or artificial ageing. In the paper are presented test results concerning effects of the T6 heat treatment, comprising solutioning and artificial ageing, on hardness and impact strength of the AlZn10Si7MgCu alloy poured into metal moulds. Temperature ranges of solutioning and ageing treatments were selected on the base of recorded curves from the ATD method. Basing on three-stage plan of the investigations with four variables one determined range of the heat treatment parameters, what is a condition of obtainment of required HB hardness of the investigated alloy. Further investigations shall concern correction of obtained results with respect to the HB hardness and impact strength, obtained for selected castings of machinery components.