Microcrystalline alloy, method for production of the same, apparatus for production of the same, and method for production of casting of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8992705-B2
Application number	US-201013392696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2010
Priority date	Aug 27, 2009
Publication date	Mar 31, 2015
Grant date	Mar 31, 2015

Abstract

During a process of cooling a hypereutectic Al—Si alloy melt, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the melt to crystallize primary crystal α-Al using, in combination, an ultrasonic transducer ( 8 ) that generates the ultrasonic vibration, an ultrasonic horn ( 7 ) that is connected to the ultrasonic transducer ( 8 ) and transmits the ultrasonic vibration in a specified direction, a treatment vessel ( 2 ) that holds the melt and is in contact with the ultrasonic horn ( 7 ), and a treatment vessel fixing device ( 3 ) that fixes the treatment vessel ( 2 ) by pressing the treatment vessel toward the ultrasonic horn ( 7 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the production of an alloy that has a microcrystalline structure, comprising:
a melting step in which an alloy is melted to obtain an alloy melt;
a cooling step, during which a pressure is applied using ultrasonic cavitation that is generated in the alloy melt by applying ultrasonic vibration to the melt, to drop a temperature of the melt at or below an eutectic temperature of the alloy melt; and
a quenching step in which the alloy melt is quenched after the temperature of the alloy melt is cooled at or below the eutectic temperature, thereby a nonequilibrium α-Al phase is crystallized,
wherein the alloy is one of an Al—Si alloy and an Al—Mg alloy.

2. The production method according to claim 1 , wherein the alloy is the Al—Si alloy or the Al—Mg alloy; and
α-Al that is the fine primary crystal is crystallized in the pressure applying step.

3. The production method according to claim 2 , wherein the alloy is the Al—Si alloy.

4. The production method according to claim 3 , wherein the Al—Si alloy is hypereutectic.

5. An alloy that is produced by the production method according to claim 1 .

6. The production method according to claim 1 , wherein the applied pressure is 1 GPa or more.

Assignees

• Furukawa Yuichi
• Tsunekawa Yoshiki
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Toyota School Foundation

Inventors

• Furukawa Yuichi
• Tsunekawa Yoshiki

Classifications

• C22C21/02

  with silicon as the next major constituent · CPC title

• C22F1/047

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

• C22C21/06

  with magnesium as the next major constituent · CPC title

• C22F3/02

  by solidifying a melt controlled by supersonic waves or electric or magnetic fields · CPC title

• C22F3/00 Primary

  Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by special physical methods, e.g. treatment with neutrons · CPC title