What is Solution Heat Treating?
Solution heat treating is a process used to treat non-ferrous alloys. Alloys are combinations of two or more metals. Non-ferrous alloys are simply those alloys that do not contain any iron. An example of a non-ferrous alloy that commonly undergoes solution heat treating is aluminum. By changing the internal structure of the alloy, solution heat treating increases the alloy’s overall tensile strength.

Alloy structure
Most metals are soluble in one another in the liquid state. Therefore the primary metal (the one which will dominate the composition of the mixed metals) is melted and the other metals are mixed into the primary metal. This is simply called alloying. The primary molten metal will absorb the secondary metal into solution, much like adding sugar into coffee. A further definition of an alloy would be a mixture of metallic and non-metallic elements that are in solution with the primary metal.

How solution heat treating works
The process of solution treating requires that the alloy be heated up to an appropriate temperature that will allow all of the added (now in solution) alloying metals to be in solution in the primary metal. Once the alloy metal has reached the "solutionizing temperature", the alloying elements are 'frozen' in the solution by cooling rapidly from the "solutionizing temperature" down to room temperature. The metal is now in its softest condition.

The metal now requires strengthening. This is accomplished by time. Some alloy metals will age naturally at room temperature. Some alloy metals will require (because of expediency) strengthening by accelerating the procedure. This is done through artificial aging or artificial strengthening, which requires the alloy metal to be raised to a specific temperature for a specific amount of time.

Why increase tensile strength?
Tensile strength is the ability of a metal to resist being pulled apart by opposing forces acting in a straight line. Any metal part or component that must perform well in highly rigorous conditions, or despite being under repetitive strain, will benefit from having the highest tensile strength possible. For example, the metal in cables and other equipment used in the construction industry to lift heavy loads require a high tensile strength.

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