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The effect of small additions of Si and Ge on the microstructure and hardness was investigated during aging of a commercial 2219 aluminum alloy. It was found that for the same level of microalloying in alloy 2219SG (containing Si and Ge), a maximum hardness was achieved 3 times faster than in alloy 2219S (without Ge). The accelerated precipitation kinetics is a consequence of the presence of fine SiGe particles, serving as heterogeneous precipitation sites for q strengthening particles.