Aluminum alloy products and a method of preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12410499-B2
Application number	US-202117450796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2021
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to aluminum alloy products that can be riveted and possess excellent ductility and toughness properties. The present invention also relates to a method of producing the aluminum alloy products. In particular, these products have application in the automotive industry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing a metal sheet, comprising:
casting an aluminum alloy to form an ingot, wherein the aluminum alloy comprises Cu 0.40-0.80 wt. %, Fe 0-0.40 wt. %, Mg 0.40-0.90 wt. %, Mn 0-0.40 wt. %, Si 0.40-0.7 wt. %, Cr 0-0.2 wt. %, Zn 0-0.1 wt. % and Ti 0-0.20 wt. % with trace element impurities 0.10 wt. % maximum, and Al;
homogenizing the ingot;
hot rolling the ingot to produce a hot band;
cold rolling the hot band to produce a sheet having a final gauge thickness;
solution heat treating the sheet at a solution heat treatment temperature from 450° C. to 575° C.;
quenching the sheet following solution heat treatment; and
reheating the sheet;
wherein the sheet comprises from −0.30 wt. % to 0.10 wt. % excess Si for forming Mg 2 Si;
wherein the sheet has a yield strength of at least 300 MPa and an r/t bendability ratio of 0.8 or less.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution heat treatment temperature ranges from 500° C. to 550° C.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet is artificially aged to a T6, T8, or T9 temper.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet is quenched to a temperature from 25° C. to 50° C. following solution heat treatment.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein quenching comprises quenching the sheet at a quench rate from 100° C./s to 450° C./s.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein homogenizing the ingot comprises heating the ingot to a peak metal temperature of from 500° C. to 580° C.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the ingot is soaked at the peak metal temperature for up to 15 hours.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising cooling the ingot to room temperature after homogenization.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein hot rolling the ingot comprises hot rolling the ingot to a range from 250° C. to 530° C.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises Cu 0.45-0.75 wt. %, Fe 0.1-0.35 wt. %, Mg 0.45-0.85 wt. %, Mn 0.1-0.35 wt. %, Si 0.45-0.65 wt. %, Cr 0.02-0.18 wt. %, Zn 0-0.1 wt. % and Ti 0.05-0.15 wt. % with trace element impurities 0.10 wt. % maximum, and Al.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises Cu 0.45-0.65 wt. %, Fe 0.1-0.3 wt. %, Mg 0.5-0.8 wt. %, Mn 0.15-0.35 wt. %, Si 0.45-0.65 wt. %, Cr 0.02-0.14 wt. %, Zn 0.0-0.1 wt. % and Ti 0.05-0.12 wt. % with trace element impurities 0.10 wt. % maximum, and Al.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises Cu 0.51-0.59 wt. %, Fe 0.22-0.26 wt. %, Mg 0.66-0.74 wt. %, Mn 0.18-0.22 wt. %, Si 0.57-0.63 wt. %, Cr 0.06-0.1 wt. %, Zn 0.0-0.1 wt. % and Ti 0-0.08 wt. % with trace element impurities 0.10 wt. % maximum, and Al.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises Cu 0.51-0.59 wt. %, Fe 0.22-0.26 wt. %, Mg 0.66-0.74 wt. %, Mn 0.18-0.22 wt. %, Si 0.55-0.6 wt. %, Cr 0.06-0.1 wt. %, Zn 0.0-0.1 wt. % and Ti 0-0.08 wt. % with trace element impurities 0.10 wt. % maximum, and Al.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet has a sufficient ductility or toughness to meet an r/t bendability of 0.4 or less.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein casting comprises direct chill casting.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reheating temperature is from 100° C. to 130° C.

Assignees

• Novelis Inc

Inventors

• Bull Michael
• Kamat Rajeev G

Classifications

• C22F1/05

  of alloys of the Al-Si-Mg type, i.e. containing silicon and magnesium in approximately equal proportions · CPC title

• C22C21/08 Primary

  with silicon · CPC title

• C22C21/16 Primary

  with magnesium · CPC title

• C22C21/14

  with silicon · CPC title

• C22F1/057

  of alloys with copper as the next major constituent · CPC title