In the field of modern aviation, aluminum alloys have become indispensable materials due to their lightweight and high-strength characteristics. Among them, 2024 and 7075, as representatives of high-strength aluminum alloys, show unique performance differences through different heat treatment processes.
2024 aluminum sheet belongs to the Al-Cu-Mg alloy system, with a copper content of about 3.8-4.9% and a magnesium content of 1.2-1.8%, giving it high strength and good fatigue resistance. As an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy, 7075 has a zinc content of 5.6%, achieving a higher strength limit through the zinc-magnesium strengthening mechanism. Both are known for their lightweight, but the density of 7075 is slightly higher than that of 2024 (2.85g/cm³ vs 2.78g/cm³), which is particularly critical in the weight reduction design in the aviation field.
2024-T3: Balance strength and processability
Material 2024 t3 is obtained by direct natural aging after solid solution treatment. This process allows the material to maintain high strength (tensile strength 470MPa) while retaining good plasticity and ductility, with an elongation of up to 12%. Its hardness is about HB120, which is suitable for structural parts that require complex forming, such as aircraft skins and wing spars. 2024 after T3 treatment has excellent cutting performance, but poor weldability, and usually requires riveting or special welding processes.
7075-T6: The representative of extreme strengthening
The T6 state is treated with solid solution and artificially aged to make the precipitation phase evenly distributed, forming ultra-high strength (tensile strength 570MPa). Its hardness reaches HB150 and its yield strength is 505MPa, which is one of the highest strength grades in aluminum alloys. However, high strength is accompanied by low toughness and stress corrosion tendency, and double-stage aging (such as T73) is required to improve corrosion resistance. 7075 in the T6 state is mostly used for high-stress components, such as aircraft wing ribs and landing gear parts.
Performance indicators | 2024-t3 | 7075-t6 |
Tensile strength (MPa) | 470 | 570 |
Elongation (%) | 12 | 11 |
Hardness (HB) | 120 | 150 |
Corrosion resistance | Poor (needs anodizing) | General (prone to stress corrosion) |
Typical applications | Wing skin, fuselage frame | Wing beam, high-load structural parts |
In the aviation field, 2024-T3 has become the preferred material for the skin of Boeing, Airbus and other models due to its outstanding strength-to-weight ratio, and its machinability supports complex curved surface forming.
7075 t6 alloy, with its extreme strength, dominates the key load-bearing components of fighter jets and spacecraft, such as the fuselage frame of the F-22. In the non-aviation field, 2024 is used for high-end bicycle frames and ship structures, while 7075 is commonly found in high-end molds and sports equipment.
Although both have excellent performance, they are both limited by corrosion resistance and weldability. 2024-T3 needs to be protected by aluminum cladding or anodizing, while 7075-T6 needs to optimize the aging process to reduce the risk of stress corrosion. With the rise of composite materials, the share of aluminum alloys in aviation has declined, but due to its mature processing technology and cost advantages, it is still irreplaceable in the short term.
Original Source:https://www.aircraftaluminium.com/a/aircraft-material-2024-7075.html
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