precipitation / age hardening

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suitable materials

Materials that are suitable for precipitation hardening are often specially developed – such as maraging steels or PH steel (precipitation-hardenable stainless steel).

It is a process that is often used for aluminum, copper, nickel and some steel alloys.

AlloyTypePrecipitateSolution annealing (°C)Aging (°C)
Maraging steelNi-rich steelNi3Ti, Ni3Mo820–850480–510
NAK55Low-carbon steel   
AlloySerieMatrixPrecipitateSolution anneal  (°C)Aging (°C)
Al 20242xxxAl–CuAl2Cu495–505190–200
Al 20192xxxAl–CuAl2Cu~500160–190
Y-alloy2xxxAl–Cu–NiAl2Cu, Al3Ni500–520200–250
Hiduminium2xxxAl–Cu–Mg–NiAl2Cu, Mg2Si510–525180–220
Al 60616xxxAl–Mg–SiMg2Si530–550160–180
Al 70757xxxAl–Zn–Mg–CuMgZn2470–480120–160
Al 74757xxxAl–Zn–Mg–CuMgZn2470–480120–160
Precipitation Hardened Stainless Steels 
NameTypical Composition, %
CCrNiCuMoAlOther
 Single Treatment (martensitic) Steels
Stainless “W”0.07177.0  0.2Ti – 0.7
17-4 PH0.04174.01.0  Cb – 0.3
15-5 PH0.04155.04.0  Cb – 0.3
PH 13-8 Mo0.04138.0 2.01.0 
 Double Treatment (Semi-Austenitic) Steels 
17-7 PH0.07177.0  1.0 
PH 15-7 Mo0.07157.0 2.01.0 
PH 14-8 Mo0.04148.0 2.01.0 
AM 3500.08174.0   3.0
Alloy 3550.1215.54.5   N – 0.10
 Austenitic Precipitation Hardening Steels
17-10 P0.121710.0   P – 0.25
HNM Alloy0.03199.0   Mn – 3.5, P – 0.3
A 2860.051525.01.5 0.15Ti – 2.2, V – 0.3
Alloy X-750MatrixPrecipitateSolution annealing (°C)Aging (°C)
Inconel 718Ni-basisγ’ + γ”980–1050720 + 620
Alloy X-750Ni-basisγ’980–1050700–760
René 41Ni-basisγ’1050–1080760–815
WaspaloyNi-basisγ’1040–1065760–850
AlloyMatrixPrecipitateSolution annealing  (°C)Aging (°C)
Ti-6Al-4VTitaniumα  β950–1000480–600
Cu-BeCopperBe-precipitates760–800315–350
Mulberry (U)U-MoU-Mo precipitates800–900350–500
precipation hardening

precipitation hardening for various industries

Precipitation hardening is applied in almost all industries. Critical factors are the metal to be used and the required mechanical properties for the application.

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precipation hardening process

frequently asked questions about precipitation hardening

Precipitation hardening is the main method to increase the strength of certain copper, titanium, and aluminum alloys. These alloys do not have the possibility of a polymorphic phase transformation and therefore cannot be hardened classically (as is possible for martensite).

The yield strength describes the limit of elastic strain before it transitions into permanent plastic strain (deformation). This is determined with a uniaxial and uniform tensile test. For many materials, the yield strength cannot be clearly determined with a tensile test or is not clear. Therefore, the 0.2% yield strength is often used instead.

The temperature determines the diffusion rate, the type of precipitate, and the rate of precipitation formation. Nucleation, the growth of the nuclei, and the final precipitation hardening can be controlled.

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