Processing and precipitation strengthening of 6xxx series aluminium alloys: A review

This review paper gives a brief overview of processing stages and precipitation strengthening mechanism of 6xxx series aluminum alloys. 6xxx series aluminum alloys are widely used in defense and aerospace industries in different forms like sheet, rods, etc. These alloys have high strength in terms of strength to weight ratio. For industrial application these alloys, after direct chill (DC) casting, are homogenized and processed by different fabrication process like hot working, coldworking, process annealing, and strengthened by age hardening heat treatments. This results in the improvements of mechanical properties of 6xxx series alloys for industrial applications. These processing steps and the effect of the precipitations during age hardening are investigated through literature survey.