Aluminum and Its Alloys

Aluminum occupies an important position in the family of metals with a very wide range of industrial and consumer applications. Second only to iron, aluminum is the worlds most widely used metal. Because of aluminum's many desirable properties, such as light weight, high strength, and corrosion resistance, modern designers utilize it extensively where energy conservation and product performance are paramount.

Target Audience

• Personnel involved with any facet of aluminum and its alloys
• Metallurgists
• Technicians
• QA/QC Managers
• Engineering Managers
• Purchasing Professionals

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Identify aluminum alloys suited to specific applications
• Describe key processing parameters that influence structure - property relationships
• Identify composition and processing interactions that result in final material properties
• Solve routine processing and heat -treating issues
• Identify cost-reduction opportunities that do not negatively impact material and product performance

Course Outline

Introduction to Aluminum: history of aluminum extraction; physical properties; classification; wrought and casting alloys

Extractive Metallurgy: bauxite composition; conversion to Al2O3; reduction plants; cryolite electrolytic cell operation; raw materials; impurities and superpurity

Solidfication and Phase Diagrams: solidification of pure metals; types of alloys; equilibrium diagrams; ternary equilibrium diagrams

Aluminum Alloy Systems: binary, ternary and quaternary systems;

Aluminum Casting Principles: melting; casting; solidification; grain size; segregation; inclusions; furnaces

Aluminum Casting Practice: castability of alloys; casting processes; procedures; sand, shell mold, permanent mold, die, investment, and centrifugal casting

Hot and Cold Working Aluminum Alloys: rolling; extruding; forging; deep drawing; spinning; roll, stretch, press brake, other forming

Recovery, Recrystallization and Grain Growth: stages in recrystallization; effect of alloying additions on recrystallization temperatures; annealing; effect of cold reduction in annealing

Precipitation Hardening of Aluminum Alloys: solid solubility characteristics; properties of binary systems; properties of complex alloys; wrought and cast alloys

Metallography of Aluminum Alloys: sample preparation; alloy constituents; heat treatment of aluminum copper, aluminum silicon, other alloys

Application and Properties of Wrought Aluminum Alloys: breaking down cast structure; effect of working on grain size

Applications and Properties of Aluminum Casting Alloys: typical casting alloys; grain size effects; specific grades and heat treatments

Joining Aluminum Alloys: properties, processes and procedures; welding, brazing and soldering; adhesive bonding; riveting

Corrosion of Aluminum Alloys: general aspects; causes, forms of corrosion; effects of alloying; intergranular, stress corrosion; protection; testing

Finishing Aluminum: mechanical surface treatment; chemical finishing, milling; electrolytic oxide coatings; other finishes and coatings