The present work characterized the microstructure of a commercial 3003 aluminum alloy produced on an industrial scale by a twin roll caster process. Optical microscopy using polarized light and dark field, scanning electron microscopy, and Brinell hardness tests were carried out. The manganese content in solid solution was evaluated by electric resistivity measurements. The chemical composition across sheet thickness is homogeneous, in other words, there is no macro-segregation. A microstructural examination showed the presence of: grains with a dendritic structure, primary phase particles Al6(Mn,Fe) in the grain boundaries, and variable volumetric fractions of the precipitated along the thickness.
3003 aluminum alloy; twin roll caster; characterization
