. The
main heat treatment procedures are homogenization, annealing
and precipitation hardening (T6 heat treatment). The T6 heat
treatment involves a solution heat treatment, soaking and aging,
and the parameters usually carried out in industry, are those
proposed by ASTM B917 and ASTM B91 standards: solution heat
treatment at a temperature of 540 1C, with residence times that
may vary between 6 h and 12 h, and then artificially aging at
155 1C, between 3 h and 5 h.