Aluminum alloys having iron, silicon, vanadium and copper, and with a high volume of ceramic phase therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017292174-A1
Application number	US-201715473343-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 29, 2017
Priority date	Apr 7, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

New aluminum alloys having iron, vanadium, silicon, and copper, and with a high volume of ceramic phase therein are disclosed. The new products may include from 3 to 12 wt. % Fe, from 0.1 to 3 wt. % V, from 0.1 to 3 wt. % Si, from 1.0 to 6 wt. % Cu, from 1 to 30 vol. % ceramic phase, the balance being aluminum and impurities. The ceramic phase may be homogenously distributed within the alloy matrix.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An aluminum alloy consisting essentially of:
from 3 to 12 wt. % Fe; from 0.1 to 3 wt. % V; from 0.1 to 3 wt. % Si; from 1.0 to 6 wt. % Cu; and from 1.0 to 30 vol. % ceramic phase; the balance being aluminum and impurities.

2 . An aluminum alloy body made from the aluminum alloy of claim 1 , the aluminum alloy body having an alloy matrix and a ceramic phase, wherein the aluminum alloy body comprises a homogenous distribution of the ceramic phase within the alloy matrix.

3 . The aluminum alloy body of claim 2 , wherein the aluminum alloy body is in the form of an engine component for an aerospace vehicle.

4 . The aluminum alloy body of claim 2 , comprising from 5 to 35 vol. % AlFeVSi dispersoids.

5 . The aluminum alloy body of claim 4 , wherein the AlFeVSi dispersoids comprise at least some copper.

6 . The aluminum alloy body of claim 2 , comprising a cellular structure comprising iron and copper.

7 . The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic phase is selected from the group consisting of TiB 2 , TiC, and combinations thereof.

8 . The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic phase is TiB 2 .

9 . A method of making an aluminum alloy body, comprising:
(a) dispersing a powder comprising in a bed, wherein the powder consists essentially of:
from 3 to 12 wt. % Fe;
from 0.1 to 3 wt. % V;
from 0.1 to 3 wt. % Si;
from 1.0 to 6 wt. % Cu;
from 1.0 to 30 vol. % ceramic phase; and
the balance being aluminum (Al) and impurities;
(b) selectively heating a portion of the powder to a temperature above the liquidus temperature of the particular aluminum alloy body to be formed; (c) forming a molten pool having the Fe, V, Si, Cu, Al, and ceramic phase; (d) cooling the molten pool at a cooling rate of at least 1000° C. per second; and (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) to form an additively manufactured aluminum alloy body.

10 . The method of claim 9 , comprising:
completing the additively manufactured aluminum alloy body, thereby realizing a final aluminum alloy product; naturally aging the final aluminum alloy product; and after the natural aging, artificially aging the final aluminum alloy product.

11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising:
after the naturally aging step, deforming the final aluminum alloy product by from 1 to 10%.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the artificial aging comprises:
heating the final aluminum alloy product at a temperature of from 125° C. to 300° C. and for a period of from 2 to 48 hours.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the final aluminum alloy product is in the form of an engine component for an aerospace or automotive vehicle, wherein the method comprises:
incorporating the engine component into the aerospace or automotive vehicle.

14 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:
operating the aerospace or automotive vehicle.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the final aluminum alloy product is a compressor wheel for a turbo charger.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the final aluminum alloy product is a blade for a turbine.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the final aluminum alloy product is a heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Arconic Inc

Inventors

• Karabin Lynette M
• Yanar Cagatay
• Heard David W
• Lin Jen C
• Wang Wei

Classifications

• B22F10/34

  of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability · CPC title

• B22F10/25

  Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] · CPC title

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title

• B22F10/66

  by mechanical means · CPC title

• B22F2301/052

  Aluminium · CPC title