Difference between air cooling and water cooling quenching for aluminum alloy profiles

The sudden drop of aluminum alloy from high temperature to low temperature is quenching, for example, the blade of steel knife is hard and sharp only when it is quenched in water, while the quenching of aluminum material includes both water-cooling quenching and air-cooling quenching.

The 6063 aluminum profile for building is quenched by air cooling, and the quenched aluminum profile is aged in an aging furnace for a certain period of time, so that the internal crystals of the aluminum profile are rearranged and the mechanical strength is obviously improved. Among all alloys of metals, only aluminum alloy has aging state.

The forming temperature of aluminum alloy extrusion profile is 460~500 degrees, and the temperature after quenching is generally required to be lower than 200 degrees. The state of artificial aging after solution heat treatment (quenching) by high temperature extrusion molding is T5; The state of cooling by high-temperature extrusion molding and then artificial aging is T6.

Some people think that the difference between T5 and T6 is only the difference of cooling speed, not the difference of air cooling and water cooling. If the cooling speed of air cooling is large enough, it can also achieve the T6 effect; conversely, if the cooling speed of water cooling is not large enough, it can only achieve the T5 effect.

In fact, T6 state can be quenched on-line (water cooling or strong wind cooling) or off-line (quenching with quenching furnace), but it depends on customer's requirements and product specifications. In actual production, no matter which production process is adopted, the key is to meet the mechanical strength requirements of the aluminum profile product.

The better the cooling effect, the better the hardness will be after aging. Why is there a difference between T5 and T6? Because the size of T5 air-cooled products is not easy to deform, almost all profiles such as doors and windows will choose T5, while T6 is a profile with thin water-cooled thickness, which will deform when it meets water, especially things with openings are easily deformed when it meets water. Of course, it can also be cooled in the form of water mist, which is the kind of spraying water. The effect of the product after passing through water is much better than that of air cooling. The 6063-T5 is between 10 and 13, and the 6063-T6 can reach more than 13.

What is the difference between aviation aluminum profiles and ordinary aluminum profiles?

Aviation aluminum profiles generally refer to 7 series aluminum profiles, while ordinary aluminum profiles are used in our daily production and life. Generally, 6 series aluminum profiles, such as architectural aluminum profiles and industrial aluminum profiles, are all ordinary 6 series aluminum profiles.

The difference between air travel materials and ordinary aluminum profiles is the mechanical properties. 7 series aluminum alloy has the highest hardness value zui among all aluminum alloys, so it is suitable for aerospace field. The hardness of 6 series aluminum alloy is moderate, which can basically meet the needs of production and life.

The second difference is the different cost. The higher the hardness of aluminum profile, the more difficult it is to form, so the cost of aviation aluminum profile is very high. Our common 6-series aluminum alloys (commonly used 6063,6061, etc.) have moderate hardness, easy extrusion and low production cost.

The third difference is that aviation aluminum profiles cannot be welded and can only be connected by other methods. And ordinary buildings, industrial aluminum profiles can be welded, so the application field is wider.

The fourth difference is also very big, that is, corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance of 7 series aluminum alloy is very poor, so the surface has to be treated by special technology, which increases the cost. 6 series aluminum alloy itself has certain corrosion resistance, and if the surface is anodized, the corrosion resistance can be greatly improved.

To sum up, aviation aluminum alloy is superior only in hardness, but not as good as 6 series aluminum alloy in other aspects, so it is generally only used in aviation field. The 6-series aluminum alloy has many good properties and has a wide range of applications.

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