Original Article

Thermodynamic simulation of precipitation phases in 2A11 aluminum alloy based on JMatPro

School of Material and Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan 114051, PR China

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Received: 17 March 2026
Accepted: 26 June 2026

Abstract

2A11 Aluminum Alloy, a typical high-strength Al–Mg–Cu series duralumin, is widely used in aerospace and high-load machinery applications. The key to regulating its heat treatment process lies in optimizing the precipitation kinetics of the strengthening phases. In this study, systematic thermodynamic simulations of industrial 2A11 aluminum alloy were carried out using JMatPro software, focusing on the evolution of equilibrium phase composition, metastable phase precipitation sequence, isothermal transformation diagram, and aging phase content at different temperatures. The simulation results show that the solidus and liquidus temperatures of the alloy are 538 and 643 °C, respectively. During solution treatment at 520 °C, all strengthening phases such as Al₂Cu and Al₂CuMg can be completely dissolved, except for the insoluble Al₆Mn phase (2.61%). The TTT curve of the alloy exhibits a typical “C” shape, with the quenching sensitivity region concentrated in the range of 250–400 °C. The nose temperature for the GP zones is approximately 170 °C. To inhibit non-uniform precipitation during quenching, the transfer time should be controlled within 5 s, and the cooling rate should be no less than 50 °C/s. Isothermal aging simulations indicate that 190 °C is the optimal artificial aging temperature for this alloy. At this temperature, the core metastable strengthening phases S^′ and θ^′ rapidly disperse and precipitate, reaching peak values of 3.8 and 2.3 at.%, respectively, after about 2.5 h. Based on the combined evolution of precipitate volume fraction and morphology, the recommended artificial aging process for 2A11 aluminum alloy is holding at 190 °C for 5–10 h. This process maximizes the precipitation strengthening effect of the metastable phases and effectively suppresses over-aging caused by coarse equilibrium phases. This study provides a reliable theoretical basis and quantitative data support for the design of heat treatment processes and the improvement of comprehensive properties of 2A11 aluminum alloy.