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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9580775-B2
Application number	US-201615087636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2013
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

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:
3.75-6.0 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;
up to 1.0 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 not greater than 5.5 wt. % Mg.

3. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes not greater than 5.0 wt. % Mg.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes at least 0.10 wt. % Cu and not greater than 0.5 wt. % Cu.

19. 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.

20. The method of claim 19 , 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
• Arconic Inc

Inventors

• Lin Jen

Classifications

• C22C21/06

  with magnesium as the next major constituent · CPC title

• C22C21/08 Primary

  with silicon · CPC title

• B22D21/007

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

• C22F1/047 Primary

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