Aluminum alloy feedstocks for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11674204-B2
Application number	US-201916294579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2019
Priority date	Feb 1, 2017
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

Some variations provide an aluminum alloy feedstock for additive manufacturing, the aluminum alloy feedstock comprising from 81.5 wt % to 88.8 wt % aluminum; from 1.1 wt % to 2.1 wt % copper; from 3.0 wt % to 4.6 wt % magnesium; and from 7.1 wt % to 9.0 wt % zinc. The aluminum alloy feedstock may be in the form of a free-flowing powder or a feedstock ingot, for example. In some variations, the aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 84.9 wt % to 88.3 wt % aluminum; from 1.2 wt % to 2.0 wt % copper; from 3.2 wt % to 4.4 wt % magnesium; and from 7.3 wt % to 8.7 wt % zinc.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aluminum alloy feedstock for additive manufacturing, said aluminum alloy feedstock comprising:
from 81.5 wt % to 88.3 wt % aluminum;
from 1.1 wt % to 2.1 wt % copper;
from 3.0 wt % to 4.6 wt % magnesium;
from 7.1 wt % to 9.0 wt % zinc; and
from 0.5 wt % to 2.8 wt % zirconium, wherein said zirconium is in the form of zirconium-containing nanoparticles.

2. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock is in the form of a powder.

3. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock is in the form of a feedstock ingot.

4. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.4 wt % silicon.

5. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.4 wt % iron.

6. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.3 wt % manganese.

7. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.1 wt % chromium.

8. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.05 wt % nickel.

9. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.2 wt % titanium.

10. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.05 wt % tin.

11. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock consists essentially of said aluminum, said copper, said magnesium, said zinc, and said zirconium.

12. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum, said copper, said zinc, and said magnesium are contained in microparticles, and wherein said zirconium-containing nanoparticles are assembled onto surfaces of said microparticles.

13. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.6 wt % to 2.8 wt % zirconium.

14. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 1 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises:
from 82.1 wt % to 87.3 wt % aluminum;
from 1.2 wt % to 2.0 wt % copper;
from 3.2 wt % to 4.4 wt % magnesium;
from 7.3 wt % to 8.7 wt % zinc; and
from 1 wt % to 2.8 wt % zirconium.

15. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 14 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.12 wt % silicon.

16. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 14 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.15 wt % iron.

17. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 14 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.1 wt % manganese.

18. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 14 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.05 wt % chromium.

19. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 14 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.05 wt % nickel.

20. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 14 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.1 wt % titanium.

21. The aluminum alloy feedstock of claim 14 , wherein said aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 0.005 wt % to 0.05 wt % tin.

Assignees

• Hrl Lab Llc

Inventors

• Martin John H
• Yahata Brennan D

Classifications

• B23K26/147

  Features outside the nozzle for feeding the fluid stream towards the workpiece · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B23K35/24

  Selection of soldering or welding materials proper (B23K35/34 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K26/144

  the fluid stream containing particles, e.g. powder · CPC title

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title