Abstract :
Aluminum (Al) is a type of metal that is widely used in industry. Al can be
combined with other elements such as Copper (Cu) to increase the strength of
physical or mechanical properties. One of the applications of Al-Cu alloys is on the
construction under the wings of the aircraft where the section requires high tensile
strength and hardness because the material will experience a variety of dynamic
loads. This condition causes the decreasing hardness and ductility of the material
due to the material strengthening of the microstructure changes with the life of the
material.
Al with main alloy of Cu makes the material able to be given process of
heat treatment to increase the strength and hardness so that mechanical properties
become better, the research was conducted to identify the effect of artificial aging
temperature, natural aging and over aging to hardness and Al-Cu micro structure
when the specimen heated in solution treatment of 500°C in one hour and was
quenched on oil with experimental method.
The results showed the highest hardness value of Al-Cu material given
artificial aging treatment with 175 ° C for one hour was 159.84 VHN and the lowest
hardness value at 225°C was 108.33 VH. The result of microstructural photo
showed the size the precipitate became progressively smoother and there was no
significant precipitate agglomeration in 175°C .