Effect of T6 Heat Treatment on Tensile Strength and Hardness of A356 Aluminum Alloy at 720°C Optimization
Pengaruh Perlakuan Panas T6 terhadap Kekuatan Tarik dan Kekerasan Paduan Aluminium A356 pada Optimasi Suhu 720°C
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21070/r.e.m.v11i1.1835Keywords:
A356, aluminum alloy, ANOVA, hardness, heat treatmentAbstract
This study aims to analyze the effect of T6 heat treatment on the mechanical properties of A356 aluminum alloy to determine the optimal processing condition. A356 aluminum is widely used in the automotive industry; however, its as-cast condition exhibits limited strength, requiring improvement through heat treatment processes. The research method involves varying T6 treatment temperatures at 690°C, 720°C, and 750°C, followed by tensile testing, hardness testing, and ANOVA statistical analysis. The results show that T6 treatment significantly improves mechanical properties compared to the as-cast condition, with the highest ultimate tensile strength of 28.3 kg/mm² achieved at 720°C. Hardness also reaches its maximum value at this temperature. However, increasing the temperature to 750°C leads to a decline in mechanical properties due to gas porosity formation that degrades microstructural integrity. ANOVA analysis confirms a significant effect of temperature on hardness (F = 287.300; p < 0.001). Therefore, 720°C is identified as the optimum condition for enhancing the mechanical performance of A356 alloy through T6 heat treatment.
References
[1] H. Azimi, S. Nourouzi, and R. Jamaati, “Effects of Ti particles and T6 heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of A356 alloy fabricated by compocasting,” Mater. Sci. Eng. A, vol. 818, no. May, p. 141443, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.msea.2021.141443.
[2] Z. Wei, Y. Lei, H. Yan, X. Xu, and J. He, “Microstructure and mechanical properties of A356 alloy with yttrium addition processed by hot extrusion,” J. Rare Earths, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 659–667, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jre.2018.11.008.
[3] W. M. Jiang, Z. T. Fan, and D. J. Liu, “Microstructure, tensile properties and fractography of A356 alloy under as-cast and T6 obtained with expendable pattern shell casting process,” Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China (English Ed., vol. 22, no. SUPPL. 1, pp. s7–s13, 2012, doi: 10.1016/S1003-6326(12)61676-8.
[4] T. Kimura and T. Nakamoto, “Microstructures and mechanical properties of A356 (AlSi7Mg0.3) aluminum alloy fabricated by selective laser melting,” Mater. Des., vol. 89, pp. 1294–1301, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.matdes.2015.10.065.
[5] F. Nie et al., “Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Pulse MIG Welded 6061/A356 Aluminum Alloy Dissimilar Butt Joints,” J. Mater. Sci. Technol., vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 551–560, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jmst.2016.11.004.
[6] X. Shao, L. Chen, Y. Yang, X. Wang, S. Su, and D. Zeng, “Novel epoxy resin grouting material with high permeability and mechanical strength: Synthesis and curing mechanism,” Case Stud. Constr. Mater., vol. 23, no. November, p. e05581, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.cscm.2025.e05581.
[7] W. Xiong et al., “A novel semi-solid rheo-squeeze strategy for optimizing the microstructure and mechanical properties of A356 aluminum alloy,” J. Sci. Adv. Mater. Devices, vol. 10, no. 4, p. 101050, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.jsamd.2025.101050.
[8] P. Ye, F. Jiang, F. Wu, K. Ye, and Y. Fan, “Effects of Zr and Y additions on microstructure and mechanical properties of cast A356 alloy,” J. Mater. Res. Technol., vol. 30, no. March, pp. 6355–6365, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2024.05.058.
[9] D. Teng, G. Zhang, S. Zhang, J. Li, and R. Guan, “Response of mechanical properties of A356 alloy to continuous rheological extrusion Al-5Ti-0.6C-xCe alloy addition upon different Ce contents,” J. Mater. Res. Technol., vol. 27, pp. 209–224, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.09.203.
[10] G. chao Gu, L. xin Xiang, R. fen Li, H. liang Zheng, Y. peng Lu, and R. Pesci, “Microstructure, segregation and mechanical properties of A356 alloy components fabricated by rheo-HPDC combined with the swirled enthalpy equilibration device (SEED) process,” J. Mater. Res. Technol., vol. 26, pp. 7803–7815, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.09.153.
[11] F. Zupanič, J. Klemenc, M. Steinacher, and S. Glodež, “Microstructure, mechanical properties and fatigue behaviour of a new high-strength aluminium alloy AA 6086,” J. Alloys Compd., vol. 941, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.168976.
[12] S. Ma, X. Zhang, T. Chen, and X. Wang, “Microstructure-based numerical simulation of the mechanical properties and fracture of a Ti-Al3Ti core-shell structured particulate reinforced A356 composite,” Mater. Des., vol. 191, p. 108685, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108685.
[13] B. I. Oladapo, S. A. Zahedi, F. T. Omigbodun, E. A. Oshin, V. A. Adebiyi, and O. B. Malachi, “Microstructural evaluation of aluminium alloy A365 T6 in machining operation,” J. Mater. Res. Technol., vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 3213–3222, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2019.05.009.
[14] B. Surono and M. Nofri, “Perubahan Nilai Kekerasan dan Struktur Mikro Al-Mg-Si Akibat Variasi Temperatur Pemanasan,” J. Ilm. Koleks. Perpust. UPN Veteran Jakarta, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 135–140, 2011.
[15] D. Laming, Statistics and experimental design in psychology, vol. 283, no. 5750. Springer, 1980. doi: 10.1038/283909a0.
[16] K. T. Akhil, S. Arul, and R. Sellamuthu, “The effect of heat treatment and aging process on microstructure and mechanical properties of a356 aluminium alloy sections in casting,” Procedia Eng., vol. 97, pp. 1676–1682, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2014.12.318.
[17] V. S. Aigbodion and I. C. Ezema, “Multifunctional A356 alloy/ PKSAnp composites: Microstructure and mechanical properties,” Def. Technol., vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 731–736, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.dt.2019.05.017.
[18] K. T. Akhil, S. Arul, and R. Sellamuthu, “The Effect of Section Size on Cooling Rate, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of A356 Aluminium Alloy in Casting,” Procedia Mater. Sci., vol. 5, pp. 362–368, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.mspro.2014.07.278.
[19] İ. Şimşek and D. Özyürek, “Investigation of the effects of Mg amount on microstructure and wear behavior of Al-Si-Mg alloys,” Eng. Sci. Technol. an Int. J., vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 370–375, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jestch.2018.08.016.
[20] A. A. dan Suhariyanto, “Peningkatan Sifat Mekanik Paduan Aluminium A356.2 dengan Penambahan Manganese (Mn) dan Perlakuan Panas T6,” J. Tek. Mesin, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 64–68, 2006, doi: 10.9744/jtm.8.2.pp.64-68.
[21] A. Wisnujati and J. Andryansyah, “Analysis Of Mechanical Properties SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) Welding Joints Of Portable Electric Hydraulic Jack Frame,” INTEK J. Penelit., vol. 7, no. 2, p. 155, 2021, doi: 10.31963/intek.v7i2.2134.
[22] W. Zhang, “Structural design and dynamic characteristics analysis of braided composite two ‑ stage gear transmission system,” Sci. Rep., pp. 1–14, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-56411-9.
[23] S. B. Uyyala and S. Pathri, “Investigation of tensile strength on friction stir welded joints of dissimilar aluminum alloys,” Mater. Today Proc., vol. 23, pp. 469–473, 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.04.210.
[24] M. V. Ramana, B. V. R. R. Kumar, M. Krishna, M. V. Rao, and V. S. Kumar, “Optimization and influence of process parameters of dissimilar SS304L – SS430 joints produced by Robotic TIG welding,” Mater. Today Proc., vol. 23, pp. 479–482, 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.05.388.
[25] F. A. Souza et al., “Investigation on microstructural and microhardness evolution in as-cast and T6/heat-treated samples of a horizontally solidified AlSiCu alloy,” J. Mater. Res. Technol., vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 5046–5052, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2019.06.054.
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Wawan Budi, Johan Alfian Pradana, Bamban Handriyanto, Nazri Syah Rizan, Saiful Rowi, Ahmad Bazi Syarif
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Notice
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
