Aluminum alloy for high pressure die casting of ultra-large vehicle body structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12276010-B2
Application number	US-202218064980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2022
Priority date	Dec 13, 2022
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

An aluminum alloy for high pressure die casting of ultra-large vehicle body structures. The aluminum alloy includes about 4.00 to about 12.00 weight percent silicon (Si); about 0.20 weight percent maximum (Max) copper (Cu); about 0.40 weight percent Max magnesium (Mg); about 0.20 to about 0.60 weight percent iron (Fe); about 1.00 weight percent Max manganese (Mn); about 0.50 weight percent Max zinc (Zn); about 0.02 weight percent Max strontium (Sr); about 0.50 weight percent Max cerium (Ce); about 0.01 weight Max percent boron (B); and a remaining weight percent aluminum (Al). The aluminum alloy provides an as-cast yield strength of greater than 130 Megapascals (MPa), ultimate tensile strength of greater than 260 MPa, and elongation of greater than 6% without the need for heat treatment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aluminum alloy suitable for high pressure die casting of vehicle body structures, comprising:
about 5.9 to about 7.1 weight percent (wt %) silicon (Si);
about 0.28 wt % to about 0.33 wt % magnesium (Mg);
greater than 0.5 wt % to about 0.6 wt % iron (Fe);
about 0.21 wt % to about 0.25 wt % manganese (Mn);
greater than 0 wt % to about 0.11 wt % strontium (Sr); and
a remainder wt % of aluminum (Al); and
a maximum wt % of Mg as expressed by:
Mg(max)=0.5568 Exp(−3.128+Fe wt %)

wherein Mg (max)=maximum wt % of Mg.

2. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , further comprising greater than 0 wt % to about 0.2 wt % cerium (Ce).

3. The aluminum alloy of claim 2 , comprising 0.2 wt % Ce.

4. The aluminum alloy of claim 2 , further comprising greater than 0 wt % to about 0.008 wt % B.

5. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , further comprising about 0.15 wt % to about 0.18 wt % copper (Cu).

6. The aluminum alloy according to claim 5 , further comprising greater than 0 wt % to about 0.15 wt % zinc (Zn).

7. The aluminum alloy of claim 6 , comprising:
greater than 0 wt % to about 0.15 wt % Cu; and
greater than 0 wt % to about 0.2 wt % Zn.

8. The aluminum alloy of claim 6 , wherein the aluminum alloy further comprises a secondary aluminum alloy.

9. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , further comprising greater than 0 wt % to about 0.01 wt % Boron (B).

10. A high pressure die casting, comprising:
about 5.9 to about 7.1 weight percent (wt %) silicon (Si);
about 0.15 wt % to about 0.18 wt % copper (Cu);
about 0.28 wt % to about 0.33 wt % magnesium (Mg);
about 0.43 wt % to about 0.45 wt % iron (Fe);
about 0.21 wt % to about 0.25 wt % manganese (Mn);
about 0.15 wt % zinc (Zn);
greater than 0 wt % to about 0.01 wt % strontium (Sr);
greater than 0 wt % to about 0.2 wt % cerium (Ce);
greater than 0 wt % to about 0.01 wt % Boron (B); and
a remainder wt % of aluminum (Al); and
a maximum wt % of Mg as expressed by:
Mg(max)=0.5568Exp(−3.128+Fe wt %)

wherein Mg (max)=maximum wt % of Mg.

11. The casting of claim 10 , further comprising an as-cast yield strength of greater than 130 Megapascals (MPa).

12. The casting of claim 10 , further comprising an as-cast ultimate tensile strength of greater than 260 Megapascals (MPa).

13. The casting of claim 10 , wherein the high pressure die casting is cast with a secondary aluminum casting alloy.

14. The casting of claim 10 , wherein the high pressure die casting includes a length greater than 2 meters, a width greater than 0.8 meter, and a height of about 0.25 meter.

15. The casting of claim 10 , further comprising an elongation of greater than about 7.8 percent and less than 11.5 percent.

16. The casting of claim 10 , wherein the casting is subjected to age hardening at a temperature between about 150° C. to about 200° C. for about 2 hours; and further comprising substantially free of β-Fe phase.

17. The casting of claim 10 , further comprising a yield strength (YS) of between about 135 Megapascals (MPa) and about 145 MPa.

18. The casting of claim 10 , further comprising a ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of between about 270 MPa and 280 MPa.

19. A secondary aluminum alloy suitable for high pressure die casting of an ultra-large structure, comprising:
about 4 to about 12 weight percent (wt %) silicon (Si);
greater than about 0.5 wt % to about 0.6 wt % iron (Fe);
about 0.21 wt % to about 0.25 wt % manganese (Mn);
greater than 0 wt % to about 0.01 wt % strontium (Sr);
about 0.15 wt % to about 0.18 wt % copper (Cu);
about 0.15 wt % zinc (Zn); and
a remainder wt % of aluminum (Al); and
a maximum wt % of Mg as expressed by:
Mg(max)=0.5568Exp(−3.128+Fe wt %)

wherein Mg(max)=maximum wt % of Mg; and
wherein the secondary aluminum alloy comprises a recycled aluminum alloy; and
wherein the ultra-large structure includes a width of at least 0.8 meter (m), a length of at least 1 m, and a height of at least 0.25 m.

20. The secondary aluminum alloy of claim 19 , further comprising a Sludge Factor (SF) of greater than about 0.8 and less than about 2.0 as defined by the equation: SF=(1×wt % Fe)+(2×wt % Mn)+(3×wt % Cr).

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Wang Qigui
• Wang Liang
• Wilson Daniel J
• Gerard Dale A
• Hess Devin R
• Boone Paul

Classifications

• B22D17/00 Primary

  Pressure die casting or injection die casting, i.e. casting in which the metal is forced into a mould under high pressure · CPC title

• B22D21/007

  with low melting point, e.g. Al 659 degrees C, Mg 650 degrees C · CPC title

• C22C21/04

  Modified aluminium-silicon alloys · CPC title

• C22C21/02 Primary

  with silicon as the next major constituent · CPC title