Re‐solution Treatment of Aluminium Alloys: A Note on a Method of Improving the Formability of High‐Strength Aircraft Alloys

ALUMINIUM alloys as a class are noted for their excellent ductility and good formability. The stronger and more highly alloyed compositions, used extensively by the aircraft industry, do not measure up to the weaker alloys in this respect. Re‐solution treatment is a method for improving the formability of strong aluminium alloy sheet materials, notably 14S and 24S types, when in the solution heat‐treated and room‐temperature‐aged conditions. The name ‘re‐solution treatment’ is derived from the apparent mechanism of the process as described later. This process was developed by the Aluminium Research Laboratories of the Aluminium Company of America. The present paper deals with an interesting industrial application.