Metal laminate with metallurgical bonds and reduced density metal core layer and method for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016101599-A1
Application number	US-201514879831-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 9, 2015
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A stiff, lightweight metal laminate includes a first continuous metal layer, a second continuous metal layer, and a reduced density metal core layer disposed between the first and second continuous metal layers. The reduced density metal core layer comprises a core metal and has an average density that is less than the density of the core metal. Planar metallurgical bonds secure the first and second continuous metal layers to the reduced density metal core layer. The metal laminate may be manufactured by press rolling the reduced density metal core layer sandwiched between the two continuous metal layers, after removing or overcoating the native oxide layer on each layer surface that contacts another layer in the metal laminate.

First claim

1 . A metal laminate comprising:
a first continuous metal sheet; a second continuous metal sheet; a reduced density metal core layer disposed between the first continuous metal sheet and the second continuous metal sheet, the reduced density metal core layer comprising a core metal and having an average density that is less than the density of the core metal; and a planar metallurgical bond securing the first continuous metal sheet to the reduced density metal core layer; and a planar metallurgical bond securing the second continuous metal sheet to the reduced density metal core layer.

2 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein the core metal is aluminum, copper, titanium, stainless steel, carbon steel, or an alloy thereof.

3 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein:
the first continuous metal sheet comprises aluminum, copper, titanium, carbon steel, stainless steel, or an alloy thereof; and the second continuous metal sheet comprises aluminum, copper, titanium, carbon steel, stainless steel, or an alloy thereof.

4 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein the core metal is aluminum, the first continuous metal sheet is a stainless steel, and the second continuous metal sheet is a stainless steel.

5 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the reduced density metal core layer is at least 50% of the total thickness of the metal laminate.

6 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein the average density of the reduced density metal core layer is between 10% and 75% of the density of the core metal.

7 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein the reduced density metal core layer comprises a layer of the core metal having through-holes passing through the layer.

8 . The metal laminate of claim 7 , wherein the through-holes are asymmetric.

9 . The metal laminate of claim 7 , wherein the through-holes have a size that is at least as large as the thickness of the reduced density metal core layer.

10 . The metal laminate of claim 7 , wherein the reduced density metal core layer comprises one of (1) a layer of the core metal having through-holes passing through the layer, (2) a woven or welded wire mesh or screen of the core metal, and (3) a porous layer of the core metal.

11 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein the reduced density metal core layer comprises a stack of two or more reduced density metal core layers.

12 . The metal laminate of claim 11 , wherein the stack of two or more reduced density metal core layers comprise reduced density metal core layers with different geometries of through-holes, woven or welded meshes or screens, or porosities.

13 . The metal laminate of claim 11 , wherein the stack of two or more reduced density metal core layers comprise reduced density metal core layers of different core metals.

14 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein the planar metallurgical bonds do not include a brazing or soldering material.

15 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein:
the planar metallurgical bond securing the first continuous metal sheet to the reduced density metal core layer does not include a native oxide layer of a surface of the first continuous metal sheet and does not include a native oxide layer of a surface of the reduced density metal core layer; and the planar metallurgical bond securing the second continuous metal sheet to the reduced density metal core layer does not include a native oxide layer of a surface of the second continuous metal sheet and does not include a native oxide layer of a surface of the reduced density metal core layer.

16 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , wherein:
the planar metallurgical bond securing the first continuous metal sheet to the reduced density metal core layer is formed by a process including (1) removing or overcoating a native oxide layer on a surface of the first continuous metal sheet and removing or overcoating a native oxide layer on a surface of the reduced density metal core layer and (2) press rolling the first continuous metal sheet and the reduced density metal core layer; and the planar metallurgical bond securing the second continuous metal sheet to the reduced density metal core layer is formed by a process including (1) removing or overcoating a native oxide layer on a surface of the second continuous metal sheet and removing or overcoating a native oxide layer on a surface of the reduced density metal core layer and (2) press rolling the second continuous metal sheet and the reduced density metal core layer.

17 . The metal laminate of claim 16 , wherein the press rolling the first continuous metal sheet and the reduced density metal core layer and the press rolling the second continuous metal sheet and the reduced density metal core layer is performed simultaneously as a press rolling the first continuous metal sheet and the reduced density metal core layer and the second continuous metal sheet with the reduced density metal core layer sandwiched between the first and second continuous metal sheets.

18 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , including a pattern formed on an outer surface of the laminate that is embossed or imprinted from a pattern of through-holes of the reduced density metal core layer.

19 . The metal laminate of claim 1 , comprising a laminate coil.

20 . A method of manufacturing a metal laminate, the method comprising:
press rolling a metal laminate including a reduced density metal core layer sandwiched between two outer continuous metal layers wherein the reduced density metal core layer comprises a core metal and has an average density that is less than the density of the core metal; and prior to the press rolling, removing or overcoating the native oxide layer on each surface of the reduced density metal core layer and of the continuous metal sheets that contacts another layer in the metal laminate.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the press rolling produces a rolling reduction in the thickness of the metal laminate that is 50% or lower.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the press rolling produces a rolling reduction in the thickness of the reduced density metal core layer that is 60% or lower.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the reduced density metal core layer includes through-holes providing the reduced density metal core layer with the average density that is less than the density of the core metal.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the press rolling does not eliminate the through-holes of the reduced density metal core layer.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein pressure applied in the press rolling is effective to emboss or imprint a pattern of the through-holes of the reduced density metal core layer onto an exterior surface of the metal laminate.

26 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the press rolling metallurgically bonds the two outer continuous metal layers to the reduced density metal core layer.

27 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the operation of removing or overcoating the native oxide layer on each surface of the reduced density metal core layer and of the continuous metal sheets that contacts another layer in the metal laminate comprises:
removing the native oxide layer on each said surface.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the removing comprises removing the native oxide layer on each said surface using a sputtering process.

2

Assignees

• Materion Corp

Inventors

• Kaiser Joseph G
• Vodnick Aaron M

Classifications

• B32B15/017

  one layer being formed of aluminium or an aluminium alloy, another layer being formed of an alloy based on a non ferrous metal other than aluminium · CPC title

• B21B1/22

  for rolling {plates, strips,} bands or sheets of indefinite length (B21B1/42 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B32B15/011

  all layers being formed of iron alloys or steels · CPC title

• B32B15/012

  one layer being formed of an iron alloy or steel, another layer being formed of aluminium or an aluminium alloy · CPC title

• B32B2307/722

  Non-uniform density · CPC title