Heat treatable aluminum alloys having magnesium and zinc and methods for producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315885-B2
Application number	US-201313791989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2013
Priority date	Mar 9, 2013
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

New heat treatable aluminum alloys having magnesium and zinc are disclosed. The new aluminum alloys generally contain 3.0-6.0 wt. % Mg, 2.5-5.0 wt. % Zn, where (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is from 0.60 to 2.40.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aluminum alloy consisting of:
3.5-6.0 wt. % Mg;
2.5-5.0 wt. % Zn;
wherein (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is from 0.6 to 2.40;

0.10-0.50 wt. % Mn;
less than 0.05 wt. % Cu;
up to 0.5 wt. % Si;
up to 0.20 wt. % Zr;
up to 0.30 wt. % Sc;
up to 0.50 wt. % Cr;
up to 0.25 wt. % each of any of Hf, V, and rare earth elements;
up to 0.15 wt. % Ti;
up to 0.35 wt. Fe; and
the balance being aluminum and other elements, wherein the aluminum alloy includes not greater than 0.15 wt. % each of these other elements, and wherein the total of these other elements does not exceed 0.35 wt. %.

2. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes at least 2.75 wt. % Zn.

3. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes at least 3.0 wt. % Zn.

4. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes at least 3.25 wt. % Zn.

5. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes not greater than 4.5 wt. % Zn.

6. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes not greater than 4.0 wt. % Zn.

7. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is at least 0.75.

8. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is at least 0.90.

9. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is at least 1.00.

10. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is at least 1.02.

11. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is not greater than 2.00.

12. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is not greater than 1.75.

13. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein (wt. % Mg)/(wt. % Zn) is not greater than 1.50.

14. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes 0.05-0.20 wt. % Zr.

15. A method comprising:
(a) casting the aluminum alloy of claim 1 into an aluminum alloy body;
(b) processing the aluminum alloy body into one of a W temper and a T temper, wherein the processing step (b) comprises solution heat treating and then quenching the aluminum alloy body.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the processing comprises artificial aging the aluminum alloy body to one of a T6, T7 or a T8 temper, wherein the aluminum alloy body in the T6 or T7 temper realizes a higher strength than the aluminum alloy body in a T4 temper, or wherein the aluminum alloy body in the T8 temper realizes a higher strength than the aluminum alloy body in a T3 temper.

Assignees

• Alcoa Inc

Inventors

• Lin Jen

Classifications

• C22F1/047 Primary

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

• C22C21/08

  with silicon · CPC title

• C22C21/06

  with magnesium as the next major constituent · CPC title

• B22D21/007

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