Characterization of 2024-T3: An aerospace aluminum alloy

The 2024-T3 aerospace aluminum alloy, reported in this investigation, was acquired from a local aerospace industry: Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). The heat treatable 2024-T3 aluminum alloy has been characterized by use of modern metallographic and material characterization techniques (e.g. EPMA, SEM). The microstructural characterization of the metallographic specimen involved use of an optical microscope linked with a computerized imaging system using MSQ software. The use of EPMA and electron microprobe elemental maps enabled us to detect three types of inclusions: Al–Cu, Al–Cu–Fe–Mn, and Al–Cu–Fe–Si–Mn enriched regions. In particular, the presence of Al2CuMg (S-phase) and the CuAl2 (θ′) phases indicated precipitation strengthening in the aluminum alloy.