The Effect of Aging on the Relaxation of Residual Stress in Cast Aluminum

Most cast aluminum-engineered components are water quenched after the solution-treatment cycle of the casting process. This rapid water quenching has the potential to induce high residual stresses in regions of the castings. Reducing the amount of residual stress can have a promising effect on the life of the component. This study was conducted to quantify how aging affects the amount of residual stress in an aluminum casting. An engineered high residual stress test sample and quenching technique has been developed, and a relaxation study has been completed. The study focused on four different temperatures: 463 K, 493 K, 513 K, and 533 K (190 °C, 220 °C, 240 °C, and 260 °C) and a range of aging times (0.3 to 336 hours). The aging data were used to verify a stress relaxation model. The results indicated that as the aging temperature increased, the amount of relaxation of the residual stress increased.