AA6063 alloy is usually used in boat and ship building. This is because of its interesting properties such as lightweight and aesthetic characteristics. In this work, the AA6063 alloy was melted together with 0.5 to 2.5 wt% of Mn and cast. The alloy was solutionised at 535 oC for 6 hours and followed by water-quenching. Artificial aging was performed on the alloy at 200 oC for 5 hours and followed by natural aging for 14 days. Vickers micro-hardness values indicated that the addition of Mn has increased hardness of the AA6063 alloy. A combination of artificial and natural aging has increased hardness of the alloy containing 2.5 wt% Mn from 120 VHN to 160.09 VHN. Therefore, the increase in its hardness could lead to the improvement of its wear resistance. 

RTC 070