Effect of cooling rate on material properties in homogenization of aluminum alloys

6xxx series aluminum alloys are an important alloy group used in the extrusion industry and can be treated with aging heat treatment. Thanks to its high extrudability, it can be easily shaped. Formable aluminum alloys are usually subjected to homogenization heat treatment prior to extrusion. With the homogenization process applied to the material, it is ensured that the product surface is clean and the microstructure that determines the extrusion speed is obtained with the controlled cooling applied after homogenization. The purpose of the homogenization process; Elimination of concentration differences in the dendritic structure, dissolution of unstable phases formed during solidification and formation of stable precipitates that control the grain boundary of the alloy during extrusion and rolling, ensuring homogeneous distribution of alloying elements for the structure. In the aluminum industry, direct cooling casting technique, which is easy and economical, is preferred for the production of aluminum alloys. In this thesis, homogenization heat treatment will be carried out in continuous type homogenization furnaces of AA-6060 series Al billet produced with D.C casting. In the cooling section, different cooling rates will be obtained by changing the speeds of the fans and the effect of the cooling rate on the material properties will be examined. SEM and optical microscope for microstructure, XRD for phase analysis and hardness and tensile tests for mechanical properties will be applied.