Precipitation hardening is used extensively to strengthen aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, nickel-base superalloys, beryllium-copper alloys, and precipitation-hardening stainless steels. This chapter discusses two types of particle strengthening: precipitation hardening, which takes place during heat treatment; and true dispersion hardening, which can be achieved by mechanical alloying and powder metallurgy consolidation. It provides information on the three steps of precipitation hardening of aluminum alloys: solution heat treating, rapid quenching, and aging.

Aluminum has many outstanding properties, leading it to be used for a wide range of applications. It offers excellent strength-to-weight ratio, good corrosion and oxidation resistance, high electrical and thermal conductivity, exceptional formability, and relatively low cost. This chapter examines the metallurgy, composition, processing, and mechanical properties of aluminum and its alloys, both cast and wrought forms. It also covers heat treating and basic temper designations, including annealed, work hardened, solution heat treated, and solution heated treated and aged. The chapter concludes with information on corrosion and oxidation resistance.

This data set presents aging response curves for a wide range of aluminum casting alloys. The aging response curves are of two types: room-temperature, or "natural," curves and artificial, or "high-temperature," curves. The curves in each group are presented in the numeric sequence of the casting alloy designation. The curves included are the results of measurements on individual lots considered representative of the respective alloys and tempers. The properties considered are yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and Brinell hardness.

This appendix provides information on temper designations for strain-hardened aluminum, heat treatable aluminum alloys, and annealed aluminum products.

This appendix contains abbreviations and symbols related to aluminum alloy castings.

The metallurgy of aluminum and its alloys offers a range of opportunities for employing heat treatments to obtain desirable combinations of mechanical and physical properties such that castings meet defined temper requirements. This chapter discusses the processes involved in solution heat treatment, quenching, precipitation hardening, and annealing of aluminum alloys. The effects of these processes on dimensional stability and residual stresses are also discussed. Troubleshooting and diagnosis of heat treating problems are covered in the concluding section of the chapter.

The term heat treatable alloys is used in reference to alloys that can be hardened by heat treatment, and this chapter briefly describes the major types of heat treatable nonferrous alloys. The discussion provides a general description of annealing cold-worked metals and describes some of the common nonferrous alloys that can be hardened through heat treatment. The nonferrous alloys covered include aluminum alloys, cobalt alloys, copper alloys, magnesium alloys, nickel alloys, and titanium alloys.

This appendix describes the information contained in titanium alloy datasheets and defines the many abbreviations that are used.

Magnesium occupies the highest anodic position on the galvanic series and can be subject to severe corrosion. The corrosion problem is due to the impurity elements iron, nickel, and copper. However, the use of higher-purity magnesium alloys has led to corrosion resistance approaching that of some of the competing aluminum casting alloys. This chapter begins with a general overview of magnesium metallurgy and alloy designations and moves on to discuss in detail the nominal compositions, mechanical properties, heat treatment, fabrication, and corrosion protection of magnesium casting alloys and wrought magnesium alloys. It also discusses the nominal compositions, properties, and applications of commercially pure zinc, zinc casting alloys, and wrought zinc alloys.