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Effect of Water Quenching Temperatures on the Hardness of Al-4.5%Cu

 Iloabachie ICC*

 Precipitation kinetics of Al-4.5% Cu in water quench media at 0°C, 25°C, 40°C had been studied. The aluminum and copper ingots used as raw materials for furnace charge were melted in a tilting crucible furnace (electric) of 150 kg capacity. The molten alloy was thereafter, poured into metallic moulds directly from the crucible pot and allowed to solidify in the mould and cool at ambient temperature, after which the samples were removed from the mould. The cast samples were solutionized for one hour in a muffle furnace at about 545°C and plunged into the water at 25°C where it was held for 10 minutes. Precipitation heat treatment was carried out in the furnace at 130°C. The procedure was repeated but with water at 0°C, 40°C, and distilled water at room temperature at different aging times. As-quenched hardness and post aging hardness was determined using Rockwell hardness tester (Model HRS 150) in observance of ASTM D785. The results obtained showed that the peak hardness value of 23.8 was obtained at eighty minutes for the sample quenched in water at 0°C. The studied alloy may find application in development spare parts for automobile industries.