Mechanics, Materials Science & Engineering, September 2016 ISSN 2412-5954

Optimizing the Parameters in Heat Treatment for Achieving High Hardness and
Efficient Bending of Thin BS 2014 Aluminium Alloy Sheets

Abirami Priyadarshini B.

1 GTN Engineering India Ltd, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI 10.13140/RG.2.2.10632.42242

Keywords: hardness measurement, aluminium alloys, bending, aging.

ABSTRACT. The present work targets in setting a standard heat treatment procedure for obtaining high hardness
values of the order of 80 HRB in BS 2014 aluminium alloy sheets of 2mm thick commonly used in aerospace
industries. A hardness range of 60HRB to 72HRB is possible in low thickness sheets as stated in the standard BS EN
485-2:2013. Experiments were performed to achieve higher hardness values by controlling the heat treatment
temperatures thereby understanding the ageing mechanism of the Al-Cu alloy to a wider extent. The validated process
sequence in turn resulted in complications where bending of the sheets resulted in cracking. Further investigation was
performed and it was found that the BS 2014 alloy has to be bent within two hours of solution annealing in order to
have an efficient bending. The results showed that the natural ageing is so rapid in this alloy, which strengthens the
material so quickly by the formation of CuAl 2 precipitates, thereby, demanding the bending procedure to be performed
before the growth of precipitates becomes dominant.

Introduction. The research and innovation at the aircraft industry focuses on reducing the weight
of the aircraft for improving the efficiency, safety and performance. It also demands a positive step
in environmental and economic factors thereby resulting in a favorable combination of high
corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, formability and strength coupled with low density[1].
Aluminium is one of the most important materials facing these challenges where it finds a wide
variety of applications in the aerospace industry depending on their complexity and performance
requirements. With copper as the main alloying element, the 2xxx series of aluminium alloys are of
significant interest possessing high strength to density ratio and thereby being used for structural
applications in variety of fields such as the aviation and military sectors[2], [3].
Aluminium, being a sheet material, demands a predominant level of bending and forming. Among
the 2xxx series, the BS 2024 is the most popular alloy used in the manufacturing of aircraft skins,
cowls and structures[4]. Currently, the BS 2014 aluminium alloy is gathering attention due to its
ability to achieve higher hardness and therefore it is used mainly for the interface beam assembly in
aircraft structures and casings. These applications require a balance to be struck between the higher
degree of hardness produced with the ability to bend and form the alloy. Work was performed in
identifying the precipitates that are responsible for hardening the 2014 Al alloy where the
precipitation of and due to the presence of copper was of significant importance[5]. A good
combination of mechanical properties can be achieved by controlling the precipitation mechanism
where the elements such as Magnesium and Silicon are also responsible in improving the hardness
of this alloy[6].
In the present work, the BS 2014 alloy was targeted to produce an increased hardness by optimizing
the heat treatment factors thereby having an efficient control over the ageing mechanism. BS EN
485-2:2013 states a maximum hardness of 72 HRB that could be achieved in a 2014 alloy[7].
However, this alloy has been studied widely for its ageing process where the precipitates are solely
responsible in hardening the alloy resulting from the copper addition[2], [5]. Sadeler et al. studied
the effect of T4 (solution treated and naturally aged) and T6 (solution treated and artificially aged)
tempers where they concluded that the T6 temper has positive effects on the mechanical properties

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 Mechanics, Materials Science & Engineering, September 2016 ISSN 2412-5954

of this alloy[8]. Various failures were reported from the aircraft industries where there were issues
in the bending of this alloy even if the required hardness was achieved. This defect from the
application side of industries demanded a more appropriate methodology in order to successfully
bend these alloys considering the mechanism of hardening. Hence, work was also done in
performing a successful 90o bend without the formation of cracks where an efficient heat treatment
cycle was investigated and the process was optimized.
Experimental work. The BS 2014 aluminium alloy used in this investigation was procured at the
T6 temper condition owing to its better properties compared to the T4 temper[8] and was subjected
to a chemical analysis treatment which had the composition as shown in table 1. The alloy plates
with the dimensions of 2mm x 65mm x 300mm were considered for the experiments. Also, the
standard BS EN 485-2:2013 states a hardness value of 72 HBW for a thickness of 1.5-3 mm and
hence a thickness of 2 mm was considered for performing a comparison in the achieved hardness.

Table 1. Chemical analysis of 2014 aluminium alloy.

Elements Specified values[9] (%) Observed values (%)
Cu 3.8-5.0 4.051
Si 0.5-1.2 0.941
Fe 0.70 max 0.151
Mn 0.3-1.2 0.714
Mg 0.2-0.8 0.546
Cr 0.3 max 0.004
Zn 0.2 max 0.034
Ti 0.3 max 0.023
Al Remainder 93.458

Initially seven sample plates were considered and prepared for undergoing the heat treatment trials.
The surface was cleaned to remove any foreign bodies, oxides and impurities if present. The 2014
aluminium sheets that satisfied the standard composition were cut into the required dimensions
using laser-cutting process. The trials that were performed had the following sequence as depicted
in table 2. It should be noted that the various trials performed had different process parameters
where every trial sequence followed the standard heat treatment procedure for Aluminium alloys.
Various standards such as the AMS-H-6088 B, MIL-S-10699B, ASTM-B597-1992 and IS: 8860-
1978 were considered in selecting the appropriate temperatures of heat treatment. These standards
provided the code of practice for the heat treatment of aluminium alloys and the required conditions
that are maintained throughout the process. These factors essentially include the salt composition,
heat treatment baths and the procedure of heat treatment.
Furnace annealing was done at certain trials at a temperature of 410oC for two hours. The sample
was then furnace cooled with a maximum cooling rate of 28oC per hour until the specimen reached
260oC which was then followed by air cooling. This is an important pre-step to solution annealing
for the effective dissolution of precipitates in order to avoid cracking.
Solution annealing was done at 510oC for 35-40 minutes with water as the quenching medium. The
main purpose of solution annealing was to achieve proper homogenization of the alloy to facilitate
an efficient aging mechanism.

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 Mechanics, Materials Science & Engineering, September 2016 ISSN 2412-5954

Table 2: Sequence of trials for the heat treatment process.

Trial number Process sequence

Trial 1 Laser cutting Bending

Trial 2 Laser cutting Solution annealing Aging Bending

Trial 3 Laser cutting Solution annealing Bending within 12 hours of

solution annealing Aging
Trial 4 Laser cutting Solution annealing Bending within 6 hours of
solution annealing Aging
Trial 5 Laser cutting Furnace annealing Solution annealing Bending
within 6 hours of solution annealing Aging
Trial 6 Laser cutting Furnace annealing Solution annealing Bending
within 4 hours of solution annealing Aging
Trial 7 Laser cutting Furnace annealing Solution annealing Bending
within 2 hours of solution annealing Aging

The bending of the alloy sheets was performed using the Yawei bending machine with a capacity of
220 tons for various trials as mentioned in table 2 depending on the time after solution treatment.
The sample under trial 7 (see table 3) that passed the bending test was approved and considered for
studying the aging mechanism to achieve the required hardness.
As the heat treatment procedure for bending is now validated, eight other samples of 2014-T6 were
subjected to the process of laser cutting, furnace annealing, solution annealing, straightening and
bending within 2 hours of solution annealing according to trial 7. These samples were successfully
bent and were subjected to the aging process with a temperature of 175oC. The soak time varied
from 2 hours to 18 hours to see the variation in hardness produced depending on the temperature
changes (see table 5). The hardness was measured using a standard Rockwell hardness tester at B
scale.
Results and discussion
Bending factors and parameters. The trials performed using different sequences of heat treatment
yielded the following results after bending.

Table 3: Bending results of the trials performed

Trial number Process validation

Trial 1 -Trial 6 Failed due to the formation of cracks

Trial 7 A successful 90o bend performed without the formation of crack or

irregularities.

The sample under the trial 1 methodology failed as expected, as there were no surface modifications
performed. The bending of this sample resulted in the obvious formation of crack thereby leading to
breakage. The sample under trial 2 had a complete heat treatment cycle following the theoretical
reasoning where the solution annealing, quenching and ageing resulted in a significant formation of
the precipitates. This sample also failed due to the formation of cracks, which is a result of the

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 Mechanics, Materials Science & Engineering, September 2016 ISSN 2412-5954

precipitation of CuAl2 along with various other insoluble compounds. The material has a tendency
to naturally age at a rapid rate thereby resulting in the growth of precipitates leading to a significant
improvement in hardness. However, this results in increasing the brittleness of the material leading
to the formation of cracks.
A different methodology was followed where bending of the material was performed within a
certain specific time after solution annealing to assess the rate of growth of the precipitates that
affects bending. In order to achieve this, a time limit has to be deduced for performing the bending
before the precipitates start to age. Trails 3 to 7 were bent within a specified time after solution
annealing with the time available for bending reduced from 12 hours to 2 hours where a successful
bend was performed.

Figure 1. Failure of the sheets.

Time is a critical parameter where the bending was totally dependent on the rate of growth of
precipitates which in turn increases the hardness and brittleness of the thin sheet. Thus, for an
efficient bending of the Aluminium 2014 alloy, the thin sheet has to be bent within two hours of
solution annealing so that the material can be formed before the rate of growth of precipitates
reaches the critical limit. The failure of the sheets is as depicted in figure 1 when undergoing the
process from trial 1 to trial 6.
Parameters for high hardness. It was also noted that the aerospace industries require a certain
minimum hardness that has to satisfy the component working conditions. After performing a
successful bend, the target was laid on achieving a high hardness value for the bent sheet and this
was satisfied by setting the proper ageing time, restricting the over ageing process. In order to
establish this target, the hardness values were recorded as shown in table 5.

Table 4: Hardness obtained.

TRAIL NOS TEMP SOAK TIME OBTAINED HARDNESS

1 175C 2.0 Hrs 48 HRB
2 175C 4.0 Hrs 49 HRB
3 175C 6.0 Hrs 59 HRB
4 175C 8.0 Hrs 68 HRB
5 175C 10.0 Hrs 78 HRB
6 175C 12.0 Hrs 67 HRB
7 175C 14.0 Hrs 65 HRB
8 175C 18.0 Hrs 63 HRB

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 Mechanics, Materials Science & Engineering, September 2016 ISSN 2412-5954

It was seen that the hardness value at 175oC for an ageing time of 10 hours yielded high hardness
value of 78 HRB for the heat treatment parameters that was considered throughout this experiment.
Beyond this time, over ageing occurred where the hardness values dropped down. The sample
surfaces were polished with the use of Silicon carbide paper and diamond paste and then etched by
Kellers reagent for ten seconds. A microstructural analysis was performed using an optical
microscope after every ageing cycle so that the growth of the precipitates can be efficiently related
to its hardness as shown in figure 3. It can be seen that the growth of precipitates is so rapid where
they reach a maximum hardness at the time of ten hours. The precipitates might act as a stress raiser
where the crack propagation starts to initiate. The microstructures confirmed the rapid growth of
precipitates, which supports the experimental hardness values that are obtained.
Precipitate formation. The evolution of hardness at the performed trials is directly proportional to
the Cu-Al precipitates that are formed. Various research in the past confirms the precipitates to be
CuAl2 phase where during the process of quenching, Cu is contained as a super saturated solid
solution in the Aluminium rich phase at room temperature[8]. During the aging phase, the
combination of copper and aluminium results in the formation of fine crystals of CuAl2 in the
solution. The increase in hardness values are a result of the formation of these crystals owing to the
solubility of copper in aluminium. From the microstructures obtained in figure 3, it is evident that
the CuAl2 phase is present by the difference in contrast that is produced. The main elements of the
microstructure are characterized as dark, insoluble precipitates composed of complex compounds
such as Fe, Mn, Al, Si and also the presence of particles of CuAl2 phase which are the white areas in
a matrix of solid solution[8]. It can also be seen that the condition of reduced hardness obtained
after the aging time of 11 hours produced a state of over aging as shown in figure 2. Hence, for
achieving the maximum hardness, the region showing a maximum peak was utilized thereby fixing
the aging time to 10 hours at a temperature of 170oC. These parameters yielded hardness values that
were higher than the hardness mentioned in the standard[7]. It has to be noted that aging was
performed after the samples were bent so that the required shape of the component can be
progressed to the desired level of hardness without failure.

80
75
70
Hardness (HRB)

65
60
55
50
45
40
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Aging time (Hours)

Figure 2: Hardness vs Aging time.

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 Mechanics, Materials Science & Engineering, September 2016 ISSN 2412-5954

a b

c d

Figure 3: Optical microscope images showing the growth of precipitates at (a) 2h (b) 8h (c) 10h (d)
14h taken at 200x.

Summary. The various samples of 2mm thin sheets of Aluminium 2014 alloy were optimized for
heat treatment and bending parameters, where the following conclusions were drawn.
(1) The bending of aluminium 2014 alloy has to be performed within two hours of solution
annealing, as the degree of natural aging in this alloy is significantly high. A successful bend can be
performed within that time before the rapid growth of precipitates significantly increases the
hardness resulting in cracking of the sheets during bending.
(2) The aging of the specimen after bending yields high hardness values than the standard hardness
mentioned in BS EN 485-2:2013 when the process of aging is carried out for 10 hours at a
temperature of 175oC. The furnace annealing proved to have a positive impact by being a successful
pre-process to solution annealing. Proper control of temperature and environment resulted in a
hardness of 78 HRB which is more than the value that was previously achieved.
The improved parameters for achieving high hardness value with successful bending will be highly
desired by the aerospace industries where thin sheets of aluminium 2014 alloy plays a significant
role. The scope of the future work lies in improving the aging conditions to perform a successful
bend and achieve higher hardness values for thinner sheets of the order of 1mm that will
significantly improve the efficiency of weight reduction in an aircraft. Work is also demanded in
areas of fracture mechanics where the mode and mechanics of fracture in this alloy can be analyzed
to a greater extent.
Acknowledgement. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Mr.K.B. Babu, CEO, GTN
Engineering India Ltd for permitting me to undertake a project at his reputed industry. His constant
support and guidance is highly appreciated. I also thank Mr. K. Vijayabaskar, Chief Operations
officer, GTN Engineering India Ltd for his extended support throughout the course of this project.

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 Mechanics, Materials Science & Engineering, September 2016 ISSN 2412-5954

In addition, I gratefully acknowledge the assistance and contribution of my guide, Mr. Gowtham,
Operations manager, GTN Engineering India Ltd, for his cordial support, valuable information and
guidance, which helped me in completing this task through various stages.
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