Abstract:
Aluminum alloy 4032 has a good thermal stability, high corrosion and wear resistance. It is used in automotive parts that work at high temperatures and under severe mechanical stress. In this work, mechanical and metallographic characterization was carried out considering four conditions: homogenized material before plastic deformation, extrusion-formed profile, extruded and annealed profile, and extruded profile in T6 condition. It was possible to observe the microstructural and mechanical properties evolution of the alloy after plastic deformation and heat treatment. The microstructure shows a noticeable reduction in the size of the second phase particles and precipitates, as well as an improvement in their distribution. In terms of mechanical properties, two big leaps in the tensile strength limit can be seen: after plastic forming, where it reaches 200 MPa, and after heat treatment in T6 temper, where it reaches 363 MPa.