Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
  • C22C—ALLOYS
  • C22C21/00—Alloys based on aluminium
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
  • C22C—ALLOYS
  • C22C21/00—Alloys based on aluminium
  • C22C21/02—Alloys based on aluminium with silicon as the next major constituent
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D21/00—Casting non-ferrous metals or metallic compounds so far as their metallurgical properties are of importance for the casting procedure; Selection of compositions therefor
  • B22D21/002—Castings of light metals
  • B22D21/007—Castings of light metals with low melting point, e.g. Al 659 degrees C, Mg 650 degrees C
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
  • C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
  • C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
  • C22F1/002—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working by rapid cooling or quenching; cooling agents used therefor
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
  • C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
  • C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
  • C22F1/04—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
  • C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
  • C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
  • C22F1/04—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon
  • C22F1/043—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon of alloys with silicon as the next major constituent
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
  • C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
  • C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
  • C22F1/04—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon
  • C22F1/05—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon of alloys of the Al-Si-Mg type, i.e. containing silicon and magnesium in approximately equal proportions

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to metallurgy generally and more specifically to aluminum alloys having high recycled content.
• High-forming aluminum alloys are used in many different applications, particularly in applications where strength and durability are required.
• 6xxx series aluminum alloys have been widely used in automobile applications, due to their superior combination of properties including strength-to-weight ratio, formability, weldability, and general corrosion resistance.
• 6xxx series aluminum alloys are commonly used for automotive structural and closure panel applications in place of steel. Because aluminum alloys are generally about 2.8 times less dense than steel, the use of such materials reduces the weight of the vehicle and allows for substantial improvements in its fuel economy. Even so, the use of currently available aluminum alloys in automotive applications poses certain challenges.
• Si may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts from 1.00 wt.% to 1.01 wt.%, from 1.01 wt.% to 1.02 wt.%, from 1.02 wt.% to 1.03 wt.%, from
• the aluminum alloys can contain Fe in amounts up to about 0.35 wt.% Fe.
• Fe may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts from 0 wt.% to 0.01 wt.%, from 0.01 wt.% to 0.02 wt.%, from 0.02 wt.% to 0.03 wt.%, from 0.03 wt.% to 0.04 wt.%, from 0.04 wt.% to 0.05 wt.%, from 0.05 wt.% to 0.06 wt.%, from 0.06 wt.% to 0.07 wt.%, from 0.07 wt.% to 0.08 wt.%, from 0.08 wt.% to 0.09 wt.%, from 0.09 wt.% to 0.10 wt.%, from 0.10 wt.% to 0.11 wt.%, from 0.11 wt.% to 0.12 wt.%, from 0.12 wt.% to
• the aluminum alloys can contain Cu in amounts up to about 0.25 wt.%.
• Cu may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts from 0 wt.% to 0.01 wt.%, from 0.01 wt.% to 0.02 wt.%, from 0.02 wt.% to 0.03 wt.%, from 0.03 wt.% to 0.04 wt.%, from 0.04 wt.% to 0.05 wt.%, from 0.05 wt.% to 0.06 wt.%, from 0.06 wt.% to
• the aluminum alloys can contain Ti in amounts up to about 0.15 wt.% Ti.
• Ti may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts from 0 wt.% to 0.01 wt.%, from 0.01 wt.% to 0.02 wt.%, from 0.02 wt.% to 0.03 wt.%, from 0.03 wt.% to 0.04 wt.%, from 0.04 wt.% to 0.05 wt.%, from 0.05 wt.% to 0.06 wt.%, from 0.06 wt.% to 0.07 wt.%, from 0.07 wt.% to 0.08 wt.%, from 0.08 wt.% to 0.09 wt.%, from 0.09 wt.% to 0.10 wt.%, from 0.10 wt.% to 0.11 wt.%, from 0.11 wt.% to 0.12 wt.%, from 0.12 wt.% to
• Fe present in an aluminum alloy can combine with other elements to form Fe-containing intermetallic particles.
• Fe can combine with other elements to form alpha phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles and/or beta phase Fe- containing intermetallic particles.
• the aluminum alloy, a metal product made from or comprising the aluminum alloy comprises more alpha phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles than beta phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles.
• the metal product exhibits a yield strength of from about 200 MPa to about 235 MPa when in a T6 temper, such as from 200 MPa to 205 MPa, from 205 MPa to 210 MPa, from 210 MPa to 215 MPa, from 215 MPa to 220 MPa, from 220 MPa to 225 MPa, from 225 MPa to 230 MPa, or from 230 MPa to 235 MPa.
• the metal product exhibits an ultimate tensile strength of from about 195 MPa to about 270 MPa when in a T4 temper, such as from 195 MPa to 200 MPa, from 200 MPa to 205 MPa, from 205 MPa to 210 MPa, from 210 MPa to 215 MPa, from 215 MPa to 220 MPa, from 220 MPa to 225 MPa, from 225 MPa to 230 MPa, from 230 MPa to 235 MPa, from 235 MPa to 240 MPa, from 240 MPa to 245 MPa, from 245 MPa to 250 MPa, from 250 MPa to 255 MPa, from 255 MPa to 260 MPa, from 260 MPa to 265 MPa, or from 265 MPa to 270 MPa.
• a T4 temper such as from 195 MPa to 200 MPa, from 200 MPa to 205 MPa, from 205 MPa to 210 MPa, from 210 MPa to 215 MPa, from 215 MPa to
• the metal product exhibits an ultimate tensile strength of from about 240 MPa to about 300 MPa when in a T6 temper, such as from 240 MPa to 245 MPa, from 245 MPa to 250 MPa, from 250 MPa to 255 MPa, from 255 MPa to 260 MPa, from 260 MPa to 265 MPa, from 265 MPa to 270 MPa, from 270 MPa to 275 MPa, from 275 MPa to 280 MPa, from 280 MPa to 285 MPa, from 285 MPa to 290 MPa, from 290 MPa to 295 MPa, or from 295 MPa to 300 MPa.
• a T6 temper such as from 240 MPa to 245 MPa, from 245 MPa to 250 MPa, from 250 MPa to 255 MPa, from 255 MPa to 260 MPa, from 260 MPa to 265 MPa, from 265 MPa to 270 MPa, from 270 MPa to 275 MPa, from 275 MPa to
• the metal product exhibits a uniform elongation of from 20% to 30% when in a T4 temper, such as from 20% to 21%, from 21% to 22%, from 22% to 23%, from 23% to 24%, from 24% to 25%, from 25% to 26%, from 26% to 27%, from 27% to 28%, from 28% to 29%, or from 29% to 30%.
• the metal product exhibits a uniform elongation of from 10% to 20% when in a T6 temper, such as from 10% to 11%, from 11% to 12%, from 12% to 13%, from 13% to 14%, from 14% to 15%, from 15% to 16%, from 16% to 17%, from 17% to 18%, from 18% to 19%, or from 19% to 20%.
• an exit temperature of the hot rolling is no more than 400 °C.
• the hot rolling achieves a thickness reduction between the homogenized product and the rolled product of 90% or more.
• methods of this aspect further comprise subsequent to the hot rolling, subjecting the rolled product to a recrystallization process to generate a recrystallized product, such as where the final cold rolling process comprises cold rolling the recrystallized product to produce the metal product.
• the recrystallization process occurs between the hot rolling and the final cold rolling process.
• methods of this aspect comprise subjecting the rolled product to a preliminary cold rolling process subsequent to the hot rolling and prior to the recrystallization process, such as where the recrystallization process occurs between the preliminary cold rolling process and the final cold rolling process.
• the recrystallization process comprises annealing the rolled product at peak metal temperature of from 325 °C to 425 °C for up to 1 minute to generate a recrystallized product; and quenching the recrystallized product. Additional details of recrystallization processes and associated methods useful with the aluminum alloys described herein are described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/261,042, filed on September 9, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
• methods of this aspect further comprise subjecting the metal product to a solutionizing process to generate a solutionized metal product.
• methods of this aspect further comprise subjecting the metal product to an aging or artificial aging process to generate an aged metal product. Additional processing steps may be optionally used for processing the disclosed aluminum alloys to generate metal products.
• FIG. 1 provides a schematic overview of an example method for making a rolled aluminum alloy product.
• FIG. 2 provides a schematic overview of a process for preparing aluminum alloy articles.
• FIG. 3 shows measured grain size characteristics of various aluminum alloy samples.
• FIG. 4 shows measured texture characteristics of various aluminum alloy samples.
• FIG. 5 shows measured yield strength of various aluminum alloy samples.
• FIG. 6 shows measured ultimate tensile strength of various aluminum alloy samples.
• the energy requirements and carbon footprint for preparing the metal products can be significantly reduced.
• the alloys and processing techniques described herein are useful for generating aluminum alloy sheet metal, or other metal products, with desirable bending characteristics, strength characteristics, forming characteristics (e.g., isotropic forming properties), and the like.
• the alloys described herein overcome these challenges by including certain elements (e.g., iron, manganese, chromium, and/or silicon) in particular amounts and/or ratios to still retain beneficial properties. Furthermore, by carefully controlling the ratio of certain elements (e.g., ratio of a total amount of manganese and chromium to iron), desirable properties (e.g., mechanical properties or physical properties) in aluminum alloy products can be achieved. Additionally, particular processing schemes, such as those employing a rapid, low temperature annealing process prior to cold rolling or in between cold rolling steps, can be used to impart desirable properties (e.g., bending properties, forming properties, strength properties, and/or surface characteristics) to the resultant aluminum alloy products. Definitions and Descriptions:
• invention As used herein, the terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent application and the claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below.
• a sheet generally refers to an aluminum product having a thickness of less than about 4 mm.
• a sheet may have a thickness of less than about 4 mm, less than about 3 mm, less than about 2 mm, less than about 1 mm, less than about 0.5 mm, or less than about 0.3 mm (e.g., about 0.2 mm).
• cast metal product As used herein, terms such as “cast metal product,” “cast product,” “cast aluminum alloy product,” and the like are interchangeable and refer to a product produced by direct chill casting (including direct chill co-casting) or semi-continuous casting, continuous casting (including, for example, by use of a twin belt caster, a twin roll caster, a block caster, or any other continuous caster), electromagnetic casting, hot top casting, or any other casting method.
• room temperature can include a temperature of from about 15 °C to about 30 °C, for example about 15 °C, about 16 °C, about 17 °C, about 18 °C, about 19 °C, about 20 °C, about 21 °C, about 22 °C, about 23 °C, about 24 °C, about 25 °C, about 26 °C, about 27 °C, about 28 °C, about 29 °C, or about 30 °C.
• ambient conditions can include temperatures of about room temperature, relative humidity of from about 20% to about 100%, and barometric pressure of from about 975 millibar (mbar) to about 1050 mbar.
• Unavoidable impurities including materials or elements may be present in an alloy in minor amounts due to inherent properties of aluminum or leaching from contact with processing equipment. Some alloys, as described, may contain no more than about 0.15 wt.% or 0.25 wt.% of any element besides the alloying elements, incidental elements, and unavoidable impurities.
• the aluminum alloy products described herein can be prepare using suitable methods.
• aluminum alloys may be cast, homogenized, hot-rolled using break- down mill following by tandem mill or using break-down mill only, cold-rolled, heat treated, formed, or the like to generate aluminum alloy products.
• FIG. 1 provides an overview of an example method of making aluminum alloy products.
• the method of FIG. 1 begins at 105, where an aluminum alloy 106 is cast to form a cast aluminum alloy product 107, such as an ingot or other cast product.
• the cast aluminum alloy product 107 is homogenized to form a homogenized aluminum alloy product
• the homogenized aluminum alloy product 111 is subjected to one or more hot rolling passes and/or one or more cold rolling passes to form a rolled aluminum alloy product
• the rolled aluminum alloy product 112 is subjected to additional processing steps, as described below, to form an aluminum alloy article.
• the casting process can include a direct chill (DC) casting process, a fusion casting process, or a continuous casting (CC) process.
• DC direct chill
• CC continuous casting
• FIG. 1 depicts a schematic illustration of a DC casting process at 105, but other casting processes can be used.
• a continuous casting system can include a pair of moving opposed casting surfaces (e.g., moving opposed belts, rolls or blocks), a casting cavity between the pair of moving opposed casting surfaces, and a molten metal injector.
• the molten metal injector can have an end opening from which molten metal can exit the molten metal injector and be injected into the casting cavity.
• a cast aluminum alloy product such as a cast ingot, cast slab, or other cast product, can be processed by suitable techniques described herein.
• the processing steps can be used to prepare rolled aluminum alloy products, such as aluminum alloy sheets.
• Example optional processing steps include, but are not limited to, homogenization, hot rolling, cold rolling, annealing, solution heat treatment, and pre-aging.
• the cast aluminum alloy product is homogenized to form a homogenized aluminum alloy product.
• a cast product may be heated to a temperature ranging from about 400 °C to about 565 °C.
• the cast product can be heated to a temperature of about 400 °C, about 410 °C, about 420 °C, about 430 °C, about 440 °C, about 450 °C, about 460 °C, about 470 °C, about 480 °C, about 490 °C, about 500 °C, about 510 °C, about 520 °C, about 530 °C, or about 540 °C up to 565 °C.
• the product may then be allowed to soak (i.e., held at the indicated temperature) for a period of time to form a homogenized product.
• the total time for the homogenization step can be up to 72 hours.
• the product can be heated up to 500 °C to 565 °C, and soaked, for a total time of up to 18 hours for the homogenization step.
• the product can be heated to below 490 °C and soaked, for a total time of greater than 18 hours for the homogenization step.
• the homogenization step comprises multiple processes.
• the homogenization step includes heating a cast product to a first temperature for a first period of time followed by heating to a second temperature for a second period of time.
• a cast product can be heated to about 465 °C for about 3.5 hours and then heated to about 480 °C for about 6 hours.
• the homogenization process and casting process are combined as casting with in-situ homogenization.
• the homogenized aluminum alloy product is subjected to one or more roll bonding passes and/or one or more hot rolling passes to form a rolled aluminum alloy product, which may correspond to an aluminum alloy article, such as an aluminum alloy plate, an aluminum alloy shate, or an aluminum alloy sheet.
• a roll bonding process can be carried out in different manners.
• a roll bonding process can include both hot rolling and cold rolling.
• a roll bonding process can be a one-step process or a multi- step process in which the material is gauged down during successive rolling steps. Separate rolling steps can optionally be separated by other processing steps, including, for example, annealing steps, cleaning steps, heating steps, cooling steps, and the like.
• the homogenized product Prior to the start of hot rolling, the homogenized product can be allowed to cool to a temperature between 380 °C to 450 °C. For example, the homogenized product can be allowed to cool to a temperature of between 400 °C to 425 °C.
• the homogenized product can then be hot rolled at a temperature between 250 °C to 450 °C to form a hot rolled plate, a hot rolled shate or a hot rolled sheet having a gauge between 2 mm and 200 mm (e.g., 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, 55 mm, 60 mm, 65 mm, 70 mm, 75 mm, 80 mm, 85 mm, 90 mm, 95 mm, 100 mm, 110 mm, 120 mm, 130 mm, 140 mm, 150 mm, 160 mm, 170 mm, 180 mm, 190 mm, 200 mm, or anywhere in between).
• the cast product can be a continuously cast product that can be allowed to cool to a temperature between 300 °C to 535 °C.
• the continuously cast product can be allowed to cool to a temperature of between 325 °C to 510 °C, from 350 °C to 485 °C, from 375 °C to 460 °C, or from 400 °C to 435 °C.
• the continuously cast products can then be hot rolled at a temperature between 300 °C to 450 °C, for example, to form a hot rolled plate, a hot rolled shate or a hot rolled sheet having a gauge between 3 mm and 25 mm (e.g., 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, or anywhere in between).
• temperatures and other operating parameters can be controlled so that the temperature of the hot rolled intermediate product upon exit from the hot rolling mill is no more than 470 °C, no more than 450 °C, no more than 440 °C, or no more than 430 °C.
• Cast, homogenized, or hot-rolled products can optionally be subjected to a break down process or a break down and tandem process.
• a cold rolling process may be used after a hot rolling process , a break down process, and or a break down and tandem process .
• the cold rolling process can use cold rolling mills to cold roll the aluminum product into thinner products, such as a cold rolled sheet.
• the cold rolled product can have a gauge between about 0.1 to 7 mm, e.g., between about 0.7 to 6.5 mm.
• the cold rolled product can have a gauge of 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.0 mm, 3.5 mm, 4.0 mm, 4.5 mm, 5.0 mm, 5.5 mm, 6.0 mm, 6.5 mm, 7.0 mm.
• the cold rolling can be performed to result in a final gauge thickness that represents a gauge reduction of up to 95% (e.g., up to 10%, up to 20%, up to 30%, up to 40%, up to 50%, up to 55%, up to 60%, up to 70%, up to 75%, up to 80%, or up to 85%, or up to 90%, up to 95%, or up to 99% reduction) as compared to a gauge prior to the start of cold rolling.
• up to 95% e.g., up to 10%, up to 20%, up to 30%, up to 40%, up to 50%, up to 55%, up to 60%, up to 70%, up to 75%, up to 80%, or up to 85%, or up to 90%, up to 95%, or up to 99% reduction
• the product is heated to the temperature for a length of time from about 0.1 seconds to about 25 minutes, such as from 0.1 seconds to 0.5 seconds, from 0.5 seconds to 1 second, from 1 second to 2 seconds, from 2 seconds to 3 seconds, from 3 seconds to 4 seconds, from 4 seconds to 5 seconds, from 5 seconds to 10 seconds, from 10 seconds to 15 second, from 15 seconds to 30 seconds, from 30 seconds to 45 seconds, from 45 seconds to 60 seconds, from 60 seconds to 75 seconds, from 75 seconds to 90 seconds, from 90 seconds to 105 seconds, from 105 seconds to 2 minutes, from 2 minutes to 3 minutes, from 3 minutes to 4 minutes, from 4 minutes to 5 minutes, from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, from 10 minutes to 15 minutes, from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, or from 20 minutes to 25 minutes.
• 0.1 seconds to 0.5 seconds from 0.5 seconds to 1 second, from 1 second to 2 seconds, from 2 seconds to 3 seconds, from 3 seconds to 4 seconds, from 4 seconds to 5 seconds, from 5 seconds to 10 seconds, from 10 seconds to 15 seconds, from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, or from 20
• the product can optionally undergo one or more solution heat treatment steps.
• the solution heat treatment steps can be any suitable treatment for the metal product which results in solutionizing of the soluble particles.
• the product can be heated to a peak metal temperature (PMT) of up to 590 °C (e.g., from 400 °C to 590 °C) and soaked for a period of time at the PMT to form a hot product.
• PMT peak metal temperature
• the product can be soaked at 480 °C for a soak time of up to 30 minutes (e.g., 0 seconds, 60 seconds, 75 seconds, 90 seconds, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes, or 30 minutes).
• the hot product is rapidly cooled at rates greater than 90 °C/s to a temperature between 500 °C and room temperature to form a heat-treated product.
• the metal product may be subjected to an intermediate annealing heat treatment process 225, where the metal product is heated to and held at a predefined temperature for a length of time less than or equal to an hour to generate at least partial recrystallization of the metal product.
• the metal product may be optionally subjected to an additional cold rolling process 230 after the intermediate annealing heat treatment process 225.
• Various different peak temperatures may be used for the intermediate annealing heat treatment process 225, as shown in FIG. 2, which may be dependent on the particular alloy of the metal product and/or the particular mechanical or physical properties desired for the final product, for example.
• the processes overviewed in FIG. 2 may be performed discretely or as part of one or more continuous processing lines where metal product may be transported as a coil, a film, or a web of material between processing stages.
• the metal product may be transported between stages by rolling the metal product, which may be under tension, over or between one or more rollers, or by transporting the metal product on one or more conveyors, for example.
• other stages not explicitly identified may be included before, between, and/or after any stage identified in FIG. 2.
• Other example stages include, but are not limited to, a tandem and/or breakdown stage, a washing stage, a chemical treatment stage, or a finishing stage.
• a finishing stage may correspond to a surface anodizing stage, a powder coating stage, a painting stage, a printing stage, or the like.
• the aluminum alloy products described herein can be used in automotive applications and other transportation applications, including aircraft and railway applications.
• the disclosed aluminum alloy products can be used to prepare automotive structural parts, such as bumpers, side beams, roof beams, cross beams, pillar reinforcements (e.g., A-pillars, B-pillars, and C -pillars), inner panels, outer panels, side panels, inner hoods, outer hoods, or trunk lid panels.
• pillar reinforcements e.g., A-pillars, B-pillars, and C -pillars
• inner panels outer panels
• side panels inner hoods
• outer hoods outer hoods
• trunk lid panels trunk lid panels.
• the aluminum alloy products and methods described herein can also be used in aircraft or railway vehicle applications, to prepare, for example, external and internal panels.
• the aluminum alloy products and methods described herein can also be used in electronics applications.
• the aluminum alloy products and methods described herein can be used to prepare housings for electronic devices, including mobile phones and tablet computers.
• the aluminum alloy products can be used to prepare housings for the outer casing of mobile phones (e.g., smart phones), tablet bottom chassis, and other portable electronics.
• Non-limiting exemplary 4xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein can include AA4004, AA4104, AA4006, AA4007, AA4008, AA4009, AA4010, AA4013, AA4014, AA4015, AA4015A, AA4115, AA4016, AA4017, AA4018, AA4019, AA4020, AA4021, AA4026, AA4032, AA4043, AA4043A, AA4143, AA4343, AA4643, AA4943, AA4044, AA4045, AA4145, AA4145A, AA4046, AA4047, AA4047A, or AA4147.
• Non-limiting exemplary 8xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein can include AA8005, AA8006, AA8007, AA8008, AA8010, AA8011, AA8011A, AA8111, AA8211, AA8112, AA8014, AA8015, AA8016, AA8017, AA8018, AA8019, AA8021, AA8021A, AA8021B, AA8022, AA8023, AA8024, AA8025, AA8026, AA8030, AA8130, AA8040, AA8050, AA8150, AA8076, AA8076A, AA8176, AA8077, AA8177, AA8079, AA8090, AA8091, or AA8093.
• the ingots were homogenized at about 540 °C for about 14 hours.
• the homogenized products were subjected to hot rolling, followed by cold rolling, followed by solutionizing, according to conventional hot rolling, cold rolling, and solution heat treatment techniques.
• An exit temperature after hot rolling was 405 °C.
• the thickness reduction achieved by hot rolling was about 98% and the thickness reduction achieved by cold rolling prior to inter-annealing at 355 °C was 63%. Additional cold rolling was then used to generate a final gauge of 1.02 mm for the cold rolled product.
• the cold rolled product was subjected to a short ( ⁇ 1 minute) solutionizing treatment at a peak metal temperature between 560 °C and 570 °C.

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• 2023
  • 2023-09-08 KR KR1020257005183A patent/KR20250039434A/ko active Pending
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