Clad aluminum alloy products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11766846-B2
Application number	US-202016946292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2020
Priority date	Apr 24, 2017
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

Provided herein are new clad aluminum alloy products and methods of making these alloys. These alloy products possess a combination of strength and other key attributes, such as corrosion resistance, formability, and joining capabilities. The alloy products can be used in a variety of applications, including automotive, transportation, and electronics applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clad aluminum alloy product, comprising:
a core layer comprising up to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % Mg, 0.3 to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 0.60 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.20 wt. % Mn, up to 0.20 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum, wherein the core layer has a first side and a second side;
a first cladding layer on the first side of the core layer, wherein the first cladding layer comprises an aluminum alloy different from the core layer comprising from 0.6 wt. % to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 0.1 to 4.15 wt. % Mg, up to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 0.60 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.20 wt. % Mn, up to 0.20 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum;
wherein in the clad aluminum product is prepared by homogenizing the core and first cladding layers at a temperature from 400° C. to 500° C., solutionizing, and quenching at a rate greater than 50° C./s; and wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has a bend angle of from 45 to 120 as measured by a three-point bend test according to VDA Standard 238-100, normalized to 2.0 mm.

2. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the core layer comprises 5.0 to 9.5 wt. % Zn, 1.2 to 2.3 wt. % Mg, 0.6 to 2.6 wt. % Cu, up to 0.10 wt. % Si, up to 0.15 wt. % Fe, up to 0.05 wt. % Mn, up to 0.05 wt. % Cr, up to 0.25 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

3. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the first cladding layer comprises 5.0 to 9.5 wt. % Zn, 1.2 to 2.3 wt. % Mg, 0.10 to 2.6 wt. % Cu, up to 0.10 wt. % Si, up to 0.15 wt. % Fe, up to 0.05 wt. % Mn, up to 0.05 wt. % Cr, up to 0.25 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

4. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the first cladding layer comprises 1.0 to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % Mg, up to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 1.5 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.45 wt. % Mn, up to 0.30 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

5. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the first core layer comprises 1.0 to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % Mg, up to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 1.5 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.45 wt. % Mn, up to 0.30 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

6. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the core layer has a thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm.

7. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 6 , wherein the core layer has a thickness of 0.7 to 2.3 mm.

8. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the first cladding layer has a thickness of 1 to 25% of a total thickness of the clad aluminum alloy product.

9. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 8 , wherein the first cladding layer has a thickness of 1 to 12% of the total thickness of the clad aluminum alloy product.

10. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 9 , wherein the first cladding layer has a thickness of 10% of the total thickness of the clad aluminum alloy product.

11. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has a yield strength up to 600 MPa.

12. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 11 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has a yield strength of 550 MPa.

13. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has an elongation up to 20%.

14. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 13 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has an elongation up to 15%.

15. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product is a sheet, a plate, an electronic device housing, an automotive structural part, an aerospace structural part, an aerospace non-structural part, a marine structural part, or a marine non-structural part.

16. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the R/t ratio of the clad aluminum alloy product is 1.1 or lower.

17. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product further comprises a second cladding layer on the second side of the core layer comprising up to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % Mg, up to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 0.60 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.20 wt. % Mn, up to 0.20 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

Assignees

• Novelis Inc

Inventors

• Kamat Rajeev G
• Mousavi-Anijdan Hashem
• Kulkarni Rahul Vilas
• Timm Juergen
• Bassi Corrado
• Wagstaff Robert Bruce
• Florey Guillaume
• Bezencon Cyrille
• Wagstaff Samuel R
• Leyvraz David

Classifications

• B32B15/016 Primary

  all layers being formed of aluminium or aluminium alloys · CPC title

• B32B15/01

  all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)} · CPC title

• C22C21/02

  with silicon as the next major constituent · CPC title

• C22C21/08

  with silicon · CPC title

• C22C21/10 Primary

  with zinc as the next major constituent · CPC title