A metals question - RF Cafe Forums

This is a little off-topic, but what the hey.

I’m considering using 6160T-6 aluminum for machined components for a rugged mobile application housing. My concern is long-term wear. I understand heat-treating is an option. I am not too familiar with non-ferrous heat-treating.

What wear properties can I expect to achieve through heat-treating?

What about preferred finish for prolonged outdoor exposure (maybe 3 months at a time for data collection)? Epoxy paint, irriditing, plating?

Thanks guys.

I assume you mean 6061-T6 which is a designation for a heat treated aluminum. The tensile strength is increased after heat treatment. I don't have any information on wear. Is there significant wear expected in your application?

All of the ideas you proposed are accepable for most environments. You can plate electoless nickel over zinc if you need a conductive finish. Iridite is also an acceptable finish with a little less conductivity that plating. Epoxy paint will withstand harsher environments. I would use the epoxy paint if the item will be exposed to salt water either on a ship or near the ocean. Plating and iridite tend to show a lot of pitting in a short time under these conditions. Both are fine for exposure to moisture and normal outdoor conditions.

Thanks Joe.

Yeah, I mainly am looking to see if anyone knows whether the heat treating offers any real advantage for wear like human and animal handling. The application is a traffic collector that detects the presence of an object in the nearby area, and will be securely attached to a tree, bench, fence post, etc. I like aluminum because it's cheap to make, but do want it to be pretty much inpenetrable without special tools, and not easily damaged by being hit with a bicycle, or chewed on by an animal (or stupid human). I'm thinking epoxy paint in a light brown color woul dbe good for stealth and still hold up to weather.

Thanks again.