The purpose of artificial aging is to facilitate the formation of coherent precipitates which strengthen the alloy by inferring with dislocation movement. The applications of artificial aging is commonly used for the following construction of aircraft structures, such as wings and fuselages, more commonly in homebuilt aircraft than commercial or military aircraft.
Aluminum grades in this heat-treatable group may be formed in the T4 temper (solution heat treated but not precipitation heat treated) and strengthened after forming to full T6 properties by precipitation heat treatment. T7- type tempers necessitates precipitation heat treating at elevated temperatures (artificial aging).