JP2023510881A - Die-cast aluminum alloy for structural members - Google Patents

Abstract

An alloy composition comprising Al is described that includes a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa at a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm and a bend angle of at least about 20°, as cast and without further processing. A method of forming the alloy is also described.
[Selection drawing] Fig. 2

Description

[Cross reference to related applications]
Any application in which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified, e.g., an application data sheet or claim filed in this application, is hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57 and Rules 4.18 and 20.6. U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/964,554, filed Jan. 22, 2020 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/093, filed Oct. 19, 2020, which are incorporated herein, for example, 608 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention relates to aluminum alloys. More particularly, the present invention relates to aluminum alloys with improved strength, ductility, and castability for high performance applications, including automotive parts.

Commercial cast aluminum alloys for certain applications, such as structural members in electric vehicle chassis, generally require both high strength and ductility. These parts are desirably formed by a casting method so that they can be cast quickly and reliably, such as by high pressure die casting. After casting, a suitable alloy should maintain sufficient structural properties for the required application. Poor castability of the alloy can lead to the often observed hot tearing and filling problems that degrade the mechanical properties of the parts that typically result from the casting process. In addition, many structural members that are die cast may require heat treating, quenching, solution treating or aging the member after casting to improve strength or ductility. However, heat treatment requires large capital investments, long processing times, and can cause costly yield losses. These problems are exacerbated by large part sizes that can be complicated to undergo heat treatment methods such as quenching.

It may be desirable to produce a cast aluminum alloy that has a high yield strength so that the alloy does not easily fail, while also having sufficient ductility. Additionally, it may be desirable to produce cast aluminum alloys that do not require heat treatment.

For the purpose of summarizing the disclosure and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the disclosure are described herein. Not all such objectives or advantages may be achieved in any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention may pursue one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily attaining other objectives or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. can be embodied or implemented to achieve or optimize the

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention disclosed herein. These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the present invention is not limited to any particular preferred embodiments disclosed. .

In one aspect, an alloy composition is described. The alloy composition comprises Al, and the alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa at a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm and a bend angle of at least about 20°, as cast and without further treatment.

In some embodiments, the alloy comprises an as-cast yield strength of at least about 130 MPa without further treatment. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises a bend angle of at least about 24° at a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm as-cast and without further treatment. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises a flow length of at least about 1.8m. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises an α-Al volume fraction of at least about 90%.

In some embodiments, the alloy includes about 0.03 wt% to about 0.25 wt% Mg ₂ Si phase. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises about 0.01 wt% to about 0.9 wt% Al ₂ Cu phase. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises about 0.03 wt% to about 0.2 wt% AlCuMgSi phase. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises about 0.3 wt% to about 3 wt% AlFeSi phase. In some embodiments, the alloy composition further comprises Cu and Mg, and the weight ratio of Cu:Mg is from about 4:1 to about 1:1. In some embodiments, the alloy has an oxygen reduction factor (ORF) for the A380 reaction rate of up to about 1.

In some embodiments, the alloy composition comprises
about 6.5-7.5 wt% Si;
about 0.4-0.8 wt% Cu;
about 0.3-0.7 wt% Mn;
about 0.1-0.4% by weight Mg;
up to about 0.4 wt% Fe;
about 0.05-0.15% by weight of V;
about 0.01-0.03% by weight Sr;
up to about 0.15 wt% Ti;
up to about 0.03 wt% Cr;
balance Al and incidental impurities.

In some embodiments, the alloy composition comprises
about 6.5-7.5 wt% Si;
about 0.4-0.8 wt% Cu;
about 0.3-0.7 wt% Mn;
about 0.1-0.4% by weight Mg;
up to about 0.4 wt% Fe;
about 0.05-0.15% by weight of V;
about 0.01-0.03% by weight Sr;
up to about 0.15 wt% Ti;
up to about 0.03 wt% Cr;
balance Al and incidental impurities.

In some embodiments, the alloy composition comprises
about 6-11% Si by weight;
about 0.3-0.8 wt% Cu;
about 0.3-0.8% by weight Mn;
about 0.1-0.4% by weight Mg;
up to about 0.5 wt% Fe;
about 0.05-0.15% by weight of V;
about 0.01-0.05% by weight Sr;
Ti up to about 0.15% by weight;
up to about 0.03 wt% Cr;
balance Al and incidental impurities.

In some embodiments, incidental impurities are up to about 0.1% by weight.

In another aspect, an automotive article is described that includes the alloy composition. In some embodiments, the automotive article is an automotive chassis.

In one aspect, a method of preparing an alloy is described. The method comprises the steps of providing alloying constituents, wherein at least one of the alloying constituents comprises Al; melting the alloying constituents to form a molten alloy; cooling the molten alloy to form an as-cast alloy; wherein the as-cast alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa and a bend angle of at least about 20° at a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm.

In some embodiments, no further processing is performed on the as-cast alloy. In some embodiments, the method further comprises die casting the molten alloy. In some embodiments, the die-casting is high-pressure die-casting (HPDC). In some embodiments, the method further comprises further processing the as-cast alloy to form a processed alloy. In some embodiments, the additional treatment steps are selected from the group consisting of heat treatment, aging, solution treatment, surface finishing, and combinations thereof.

4 is a chart showing the bend angle and yield strength of a number of commercial alloys and subject alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a bar graph showing predicted and tested yield strength of alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a plot of bend angle and α-aluminum volume fraction for alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a plot of bend angle and magnesium/nickel content for alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a bar graph showing predicted and tested normalized flow lengths of alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a plot showing bend angle and yield strength of alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a bar graph showing experimental results of flow length and silicon content of alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a line graph showing calculated results showing the relationship between bend angle and FCC mole fraction as a function of silicon content for alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a predictive model chart showing yield strength at a Cu:Mg ratio of 3:1 at various magnesium and silicon weight percentages for alloys of some embodiments;

4 is a plot showing experimental results of bend angles for alloys of several embodiments with varying amounts of magnesium and strontium.

4 is a plot showing experimental results of tensile yield strength and bend angle for alloys of some embodiments having various copper and magnesium weight percentages.

It is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of a comparative alloy.

1 is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of an alloy according to some embodiments;

1 is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of aluminum and silicon alloys.

1 is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of aluminum, silicon and strontium alloys.

The present disclosure can be understood by reference to the following detailed description. For clarity of description, certain elements of the various drawings may not be drawn to scale, but may be represented schematically or conceptually or otherwise in specific embodiments. Note that it does not have to correspond exactly to physical configuration.

Embodiments relate to aluminum alloys useful for making products such as vehicle chassis or chassis members. In one embodiment, the vehicle is an electric vehicle powered by a battery pack. In one embodiment, the alloy was made to provide good castability and relatively high yield strength and ductility, eliminating the need for subsequent heat treatment of the cast alloy. In one embodiment, the alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa and a bend angle of at least about 20° at a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm, as cast and without further treatment. In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy contains vanadium to provide many of these enhancements. In another embodiment, the aluminum alloy has a copper to magnesium specific weight ratio to provide many of these enhancements of the alloy with the desired characteristics. In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy has a Cu:Mg weight ratio of about 4:1 to about 1:1. In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy has a Cu:Mg weight ratio of about 4:1 to about 2:1. As discussed below, aluminum alloys with these compositions have been found to have higher yield strength and higher ductility than available aluminum alloys. As discussed below, aluminum alloys are described herein by weight percent (wt %) of all elements and particles within the alloy, as well as specific properties of the alloy. It will be appreciated that the remaining composition of any alloy described herein is aluminum and incidental impurities.

[Aluminum alloy composition]
FIG. 1 is a chart showing the bend angle and yield strength of a number of commercially available high pressure die casting (HPDC) alloys. The target alloy mechanical requirements of FIG. 1 are shown to be a yield strength greater than 135 MPa and a bend angle greater than 24 degrees. However, FIG. 1 demonstrates that commercial alloys either require heat treatment to meet the necessary mechanical requirements or do not meet the necessary requirements.

In contrast, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to casting aluminum alloys having both high yield strength and high ductility without the need for post-casting heat treatments. Aluminum alloys have been found to have high yield strength and high ductility compared to conventional commercially available aluminum alloys. Aluminum alloys are described herein by weight percent (wt%) of all elements and particles in the alloy, as well as specific properties of the alloy. It will be appreciated that the remaining composition of any alloy described herein is aluminum and incidental impurities.

Impurities may be present in the starting material or may be introduced during one of the processing and/or manufacturing steps to make the aluminum alloy. Incidental impurities are compounds and/or elements that do not affect or substantially affect the material properties of the composition, such as yield strength, ductility, and elimination of the need for heat treatment. In some embodiments, the total incidental impurities are 1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.2 wt% 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt% or 0.01 wt%, or any range of values between about, up to, or up to about, 1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.2 wt% 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt% or 0.01 wt% %, or any range of values in between. In embodiments, the total incidental impurities are 1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.2 wt% 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt% or 0.01 wt%, or between any range of values about, up to, or up to about, 1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt% or 0.01 wt%, or Any range of values between them. In some embodiments, incidental impurities of each element are 0.5 wt%, 0.2 wt% 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.01 wt%, 0.005 wt% % or 0.001 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about, 0.5 wt%, 0.2 wt% 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt% %, 0.01 wt%, 0.005 wt% or 0.001 wt%, or any range of values therebetween.

In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition comprises Si in the range of or about 6.5-7.5 wt% and 0.4-0.8 wt% Cu in the range of or about 0.4-0.8 wt%, Mn in the range of or about 0.3-0.7 wt%, and 0.2 Mg in the range of ~0.4 wt% or in the range of about 0.2-0.4 wt%, Fe up to 0.4 wt% or up to about 0.4 wt%, V in the range or about 0.05-0.15 wt% and Sr in the range or about 0.01-0.03 wt% , up to 0.15 wt.% or up to about 0.15 wt.% Ti, up to 0.03 wt.% or up to about 0.03 wt.% Cr, with the balance being Al and incidental impurities and the maximum incidental impurity sum is 0.15 or 0.1% by weight. In some embodiments, the incidental impurity of each element is about 0.05 wt%, about, up to, or up to about 0.05 wt%.

In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition comprises Si in the range or about 6.5 to 11 wt% and Si in the range or about 0.3 to 0.8 wt%. Cu in the range of 0.3-0.8 wt%, Mn in the range of or about 0.3-0.8 wt%, and 0.1-0.4 Mg in the range or in the range of about 0.1 to 0.4 wt%, Fe up to 0.5 wt% or up to about 0.5 wt%, 0.05 to 0.15 wt% V in the range of or about 0.05-0.15 wt%, Sr in the range of or about 0.01-0.05 wt%, and up to 0 .15 wt. %), and the maximum incidental impurity sum is 0.15 or 0.1% by weight. In some embodiments, the incidental impurity of each element is about 0.05 wt%, about, up to, or up to about 0.05 wt%.

In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition comprises 15 wt%, 13 wt%, 12 wt%, 11 wt%, 10 wt%, 9 wt%, 8 wt%, 7 wt%, 6 wt%, 5 wt% % by weight or 3% by weight, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 15% by weight, 13% by weight, 12% by weight, 11% by weight, 10% by weight, 9% by weight Silicon (Si) in an amount by weight, 8 weight percent, 7 weight percent, 6 weight percent, 5 weight percent, or 3 weight percent, or any value range therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition is 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.4 wt% weight percent, 0.3 weight percent, 0.2 weight percent or 0.1 weight percent, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 1 weight percent, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.2 wt% or 0.1 wt% , or any range of values therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition contains 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt% or 0.05 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0 Manganese (Mn) in an amount ranging from 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt% or 0.05 wt%, or any value range therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition contains 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0 .2 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, or 0.01 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 0.8 wt% %, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, or iron (Fe) in an amount of 0.01% by weight, or any range of values therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition comprises 4 wt%, 3 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 2 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.4 wt% %, 0.3%, 0.2%, 0.1% or 0.05%, or any value range therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 4 wt%, 3 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 2 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.2 wt% , 0.1% by weight or 0.05% by weight, or any range of values therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition contains 0.1 wt%, 0.08 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.06 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.045 wt%, 0 .04 wt%, 0.035 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.025 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.015 wt%, 0.01 wt% or 0.005 wt%, or an amount in any range of values between, up to, or up to about 0.1 wt%, 0.08 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.06 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0 .045 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.035 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.025 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.015 wt%, 0.01 wt% or 0.005 wt% Strontium (Sr) in an amount of weight percent, or any range of values therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition contains 0.3 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.14 wt%, 0.13 wt%, 0.12 wt%, 0 .1 wt%, 0.08 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.06 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt% % by weight or 0.005% by weight, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 0.3% by weight, 0.2% by weight, 0.15% by weight, 0 .14 wt%, 0.13 wt%, 0.12 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.08 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.06 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt% Titanium (Ti) in an amount ranging from wt.%, 0.03 wt.%, 0.02 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% or 0.005 wt.%, or any value range therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition contains 0.1 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0 .01 wt% or 0.005 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 0.1 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.05 wt% , 0.04 wt.%, 0.03 wt.%, 0.02 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% or 0.005 wt.%, or any range of values therebetween. . In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition contains 0.1 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0 .01 wt% or 0.005 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 0.1 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.05 wt% , 0.04 wt.%, 0.03 wt.%, 0.02 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% or 0.005 wt.%, or any value range therebetween, incidentally of each element impurities. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition contains 0.3 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt% or 0.005 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 0.3 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0 0.02% by weight, 0.01% by weight or 0.005% by weight, or any range of values therebetween, including a maximum total of incidental impurities.

In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition is 4:1, 3.5:1, 3:1, 2.5:1, 2:1, 1.5:1 or 1:1, or an amount in any range of values between, or about 4:1, 3.5:1, 3:1, 2.5:1, 2:1, 1.5:1 or 1:1, or therebetween with a weight ratio of Cu:Mg in an amount in the range of any value of .

In some embodiments, the α-Al volume fraction of the alloy is 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99%, or any range of values therebetween about, at least, or at least about 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% , or any range of values between them.

In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition is 2 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt% , 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0 .1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt% or 0.005 wt%, or any value therebetween Range about 2 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt% , 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt% or 0.005 wt%, or any value range therebetween, 2 wt%, 1.5 wt% %, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0. 35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt% %, 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt% or 0.005 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, or about 2 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 0. 9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt% %, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, Contains less than 0.01 wt. % or 0.005 wt. % Mg ₂ Si phase, or any range of values therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition is 2 wt%, 1.7 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.4 wt%, 1.3 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1.1 wt% wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0 .35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt% % by weight, 0.02% by weight, 0.01% by weight, 0.008% by weight, 0.005% by weight or 0.001% by weight, or any range of values therebetween, about 2% by weight, 1 .7 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.4 wt%, 1.3 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1.1 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt% , 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0 .2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt%, 0.008 wt% % by weight, 0.005% by weight or 0.001% by weight, or any range of values therebetween, 2% by weight, 1.7% by weight, 1.5% by weight, 1.4% by weight,1. 3% by weight, 1.2% by weight, 1.1% by weight, 1% by weight, 0.9% by weight, 0.8% by weight, 0.7% by weight, 0.6% by weight, 0.5% by weight, 0.45 wt.%, 0.4 wt.%, 0.35 wt.%, 0.3 wt.%, 0.25 wt.%, 0.2 wt.%, 0.15 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, 0.45 wt. 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt%, 0.008 wt%, 0.005 wt% or 0.001 wt%, or therebetween or about 2 wt%, 1.7 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.4 wt%, 1.3 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1.1 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt% %, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, Contains less than 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt%, 0.008 wt%, 0.005 wt% or 0.001 wt% _Al2Cu phase, or any value range therebetween. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition is 2 wt%, 1.7 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.4 wt%, 1.3 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1.1 wt% wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0 .35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt% %, 0.02%, 0.01%, 0.008%, 0.005% or 0.001%, or any range of values therebetween, about, at least, or at least About 2 wt%, 1.7 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.4 wt%, 1.3 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1.1 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt% , 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0 .25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.03 wt%, 0.02 wt%, 0.01 wt% weight percent, 0.008 weight percent, 0.005 weight percent or 0.001 weight percent, or any value range therebetween of AlCuMgSi phase. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy composition comprises 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, 4 wt%, 3.7 wt%, 3.5 wt%, 3.4 wt%, 3 wt% .2 wt%, 3.1 wt%, 3 wt%, 2.9 wt%, 2.8 wt%, 2.7 wt%, 2.6 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 2.4 wt% , 2.2 wt%, 2 wt%, 1.8 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt% , 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0 .15 wt%, 0.1 wt% or 0.05 wt% or any value range therebetween, about 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, 4 wt%, 3.7 wt% wt%, 3.5 wt%, 3.4 wt%, 3.2 wt%, 3.1 wt%, 3 wt%, 2.9 wt%, 2.8 wt%, 2.7 wt%, 2 .6 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 2.4 wt%, 2.2 wt%, 2 wt%, 1.8 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1 wt%, 0 .9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt% wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt% or 0.05 wt% or any value range therebetween, 6 wt%, 5 wt% %, 4.5 wt%, 4 wt%, 3.7 wt%, 3.5 wt%, 3.4 wt%, 3.2 wt%, 3.1 wt%, 3 wt%, 2.9 wt% %, 2.8 wt%, 2.7 wt%, 2.6 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 2.4 wt%, 2.2 wt%, 2 wt%, 1.8 wt%, 1. 5% by weight, 1.2% by weight, 1% by weight, 0.9% by weight, 0.8% by weight, 0.7% by weight, 0.6% by weight, 0.5% by weight, 0.45% by weight, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt% or 0.05 wt%, or less than a range of any value between about 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, 4 wt%, 3.7 wt%, 3.5 wt%, 3.4 wt%, 3.2 wt% wt%, 3.1 wt%, 3 wt%, 2.9 wt%, 2.8 wt%, 2.7 wt%, 2.6 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 2.4 wt%, 2 .2 wt%, 2 wt%, 1.8 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt%, 0.7 wt%, 0 .6% by weight, 0.5 % by weight, 0.45% by weight, 0.4% by weight, 0.35% by weight, 0.3% by weight, 0.25% by weight, 0.2% by weight, 0.15% by weight, 0.1% by weight or less than 0.05 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, at least 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, 4 wt%, 3.7 wt%, 3.5 wt%, 3.4 wt%, 3.2 wt%, 3.1 wt%, 3 wt%, 2.9 wt%, 2.8 wt%, 2.7 wt%, 2.6 wt%, 2.5 wt% %, 2.4 wt%, 2.2 wt%, 2 wt%, 1.8 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.2 wt%, 1 wt%, 0.9 wt%, 0.8 wt% %, 0.7 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.45 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt% or 0.05 wt%, or any range of values therebetween, or at least about 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt% %, 4 wt%, 3.7 wt%, 3.5 wt%, 3.4 wt%, 3.2 wt%, 3.1 wt%, 3 wt%, 2.9 wt%, 2.8 wt% %, 2.7 wt %, 2.6 wt %, 2.5 wt %, 2.4 wt %, 2.2 wt %, 2 wt %, 1.8 wt %, 1.5 wt %, 1. 2% by weight, 1% by weight, 0.9% by weight, 0.8% by weight, 0.7% by weight, 0.6% by weight, 0.5% by weight, 0.45% by weight, 0.4% by weight, 0.35 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.1 wt% or 0.05 wt% or any value therebetween contains AlFeSi phases in the range of

[Alloy yield strength]
Industrial applications that can cast thousands or hundreds of thousands of aluminum alloy parts can require high yield strength. As seen in FIG. 2, the predicted and tested yield strengths of the alloys of embodiments 1B3, 2F5, 3D2, 3C1, 3I1, 365-3, 365-2, 1B4, 3C3a, 3C3b, 3I3a, 3I3b and 3D3 are evaluated.

The yield strength of the aluminum alloys described herein is at least or at least about 120 MPa. In some embodiments, the yield strength is 120 MPa, 125 MPa, 130 MPa, 135 MPa, 140 MPa, 145 MPa, 150 MPa, 155 MPa, 160 MPa, 165 MPa, 170 MPa, 180 MPa, or 200 MPa, or any range of values therebetween, about at least or at least about 120 MPa, 125 MPa, 130 MPa, 135 MPa, 140 MPa, 145 MPa, 150 MPa, 155 MPa, 160 MPa, 165 MPa, 170 MPa, 180 MPa or 200 MPa, or a range of any value therebetween. In some embodiments, the yield strength is 120 MPa, 125 MPa, 130 MPa, 135 MPa, 140 MPa, 145 MPa, 150 MPa, 155 MPa, 160 MPa, 165 MPa, 170 MPa, 180 MPa, or 200 MPa, or a range of any value therebetween, or about 120 MPa, 125 MPa, 130 MPa, 135 MPa, 140 MPa, 145 MPa, 150 MPa, 155 MPa, 160 MPa, 165 MPa, 170 MPa, 180 MPa or 200 MPa, or any value range therebetween.

[Alloy ductility]
The ductility of the metal alloy should also be considered so that the parts can be reproducibly manufactured by using casting methods. Ductility of an alloy can be measured by bend angle and/or alloy elongation, with bend angle being preferred.

FIG. 3A is a plot of alloy bend angle and α-aluminum volume fraction, and FIG. 3B is a plot of alloy bend angle and magnesium/nickel content of some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the bend angle of the alloy is 15°, 20°, 23°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, or 50°, or any range of values therebetween, about , at least, or at least about 15°, 20°, 23°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, or 50°, or any value therebetween. In some embodiments, the bend angle is 15°, 20°, 23°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 50° or 60°, or a range of any value therebetween, or about 15°, 20°, 23°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 50° or 60°, or any value therebetween. In some embodiments, the bend angle is measured at a cross-sectional thickness of 3mm. In some embodiments, the bend angle is measured using the VDA238-100 criteria. In some embodiments,

[Die-castability and fluidity]
In addition to adequate yield strength and ductility during casting, as-cast aluminum alloys must provide adequate flowability and resistance to high temperature tearing and shrinkage cracking during high pressure die casting (HPDC). Flow lengths described herein are under HPDC conditions, unless otherwise specified. In metal casting processes, metal alloys must be sufficiently fluid to flow and fill all complex molds. Molds with narrow and/or long mold channels require a sufficiently high fluidity of the alloy to fill the mold. FIG. 4 is a bar graph showing predicted and tested normalized flow length under HPDC conditions for alloys of some embodiments.

The formula for predicting the flow length of alloys in sand casting under HPDC conditions is given below.

Hot tearing and shrinkage cracking are common and catastrophic defects observed when casting alloys, including aluminum alloys. Without the ability to prevent hot tearing of the alloy, reliable and repeatable parts cannot be produced. Hot tearing is the irreversible formation of cracks while the cast part is still in semi-solid casting. Hot tearing is often associated with the casting process itself, which is related to the generation of thermal stresses during contraction of the melt flow during solidification, but the underlying thermodynamics and microstructure of the alloy play a role.

In some embodiments, the alloy is 1 m, 1.1 m, 1.2 m, 1.3 m, 1.4 m, 1.5 m, 1.6 m, 1.7 m, 1.8 m, 1.9 m, 2 m, 2.2 m, 2.5 m, 3 m or 5 m, or any range of values therebetween, about, at least, or at least about 1 m, 1.1 m, 1.2 m, 1.3 m, 1.4 m, 1 . Casting flow length under HPDC conditions ranging from 5m, 1.6m, 1.7m, 1.8m, 1.9m, 2m, 2.2m, 2.5m, 3m or 5m or any value in between have In some embodiments, the alloy is free or substantially free of hot tearing and/or shrinkage cracking throughout the casting flow length.

式中：
α_i＝貴相ｉに伴う電流密度（表３参照）
Ｖ_i＝希相ｉの体積分率
ｉ_A380＝－９６５ｍＶ_SCEでの鋳造Ａ３８０（ベースライン合金）の酸素還元電流密度 [Corrosion resistance/oxidation resistance]
Structural castings are expected to last within the harsh environment of automotive applications. In some embodiments, the as-cast alloy is corrosion resistant and/or oxidation resistant. In some embodiments, the alloy is 2, 1.5, 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2 or 0.1, or any range of values therebetween, about, up to, or up to about 2, 1.5, 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.1. It has an oxygen reduction factor (ORF) for the A380 reaction rate ranging from 5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2 or 0.1 or any value therebetween. The formula for calculating the ORF is shown below.

In the formula:
α _i = current density associated with noble phase i (see Table 3)
V _i = volume fraction of dilute phase i i _A380 = oxygen reduction current density of cast A380 (baseline alloy) at −965 mV _SCE

[Processing method]
In some embodiments, the melt of the alloy can be prepared by heating the alloy above the melting temperature of the alloy components. As the melt is cast and cooled to room temperature, the alloy can cool at various rates. Processing conditions can produce larger or smaller grain sizes, increase or decrease the size and number of precipitates, and help minimize as-cast segregation.

In some embodiments, the alloy is die cast. In some embodiments, the alloy is high pressure die cast (HPDC). In certain embodiments, the aluminum alloy is cast without further processing. In some embodiments, the as-cast aluminum alloy is not further processed by heat treatment and maintains yield strength and ductility as described above. In other embodiments, the as-cast aluminum alloy is further processed. In some embodiments, additional treatment methods include heat treatment, aging, solution treatment and surface finishing.

In certain embodiments, after the aluminum alloy melt is formed, it can be cast into dies to form high performance products or parts. In some embodiments, the product may be part of an automobile, such as parts of a chassis and/or other crash parts.

[Example 1]
A predictive model was run to calculate the yield strength and ductility (eg, bend angle) of aluminum alloys cast without further heat treatment methods. Several predicted aluminum alloy compositions were made and experimentally tested for as-cast yield strength and ductility without heat treatment, including compositions 3C1, 3C3a, 3C3b, 3C4, 3C5, 3C6, 3C7, 3C8, 3C9 and 3C10. was done. The results of these experimental tests are shown in FIG. 5, which is a plot showing bend angle and yield strength for alloy compositions 3C1, 3C3a, 3C3b, 3C4, 3C5, 3C6, 3C7, 3C8, 3C9 and 3C10.

The elemental weight percent compositions of alloy compositions 3C1, 3C3a, 3C3b, 3C4, 3C5, 3C6, 3C7, 3C8, 3C9 and 3C10 are shown in Table 1 below, with the balance of the composition being aluminum. The as-cast aluminum alloy composition of 3C10 has a yield strength of about 143 MPa and a bend angle of about 25°, and the composition of aluminum alloy 3C10 falls within the ranges of alloys 1, 2 and 3 shown in Table 2 below. I found out.

[Example 2]
It is known that increasing the silicon content reduces the ductility of the alloy, but under conventional die casting conditions for aluminum alloys, the silicon content should be about 8-12% to have sufficient fluidity during casting. weight % and relatively high. This is because the relative increase in the heat of fusion due to the silicon content allows for an increase in the latent heat contribution so that heat can be retained within the alloy system during casting, thus allowing the alloy to achieve sufficient casting length. This is because the liquid phase can be held for a sufficient period of time. However, it is not readily apparent whether the same silicon concentration is required for fluidity when the alloy is cast at HPDC conditions.

FIG. 6A is a bar graph showing experimental results of flow length and silicon content of alloys of some embodiments under HPDC conditions over a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm. Castings were performed using a high pressure die casting machine of approximately 700 tons and a die designed to maintain a uniform flow front for 3 mm thick castings up to 2 m in length. Various alloys were tested under the same casting conditions to quantify the flow length of the castings.

Figure 6A shows that an alloy composition having 7.5 wt% silicon has a flow length of about 1.4 meters and an alloy composition having 8.5 wt% silicon has a flow length of about 1.45 meters. , indicating that an alloy composition having 9.5 weight percent silicon has a flow length of about 1.45 meters. As can be seen, at Si contents above 7.5 wt%, the flow length fluidity gain drops off precipitously. Therefore, to achieve advantageous flow lengths, the silicon range of the alloy composition should be maintained above 6 wt. It was determined that it could be made less than wt% (eg, 8 wt% or 7.5 wt%). Thus, it has been discovered that under HPDC conditions, increasing the silicon content does not necessarily improve flow length growth to some extent as compared to the silicon content under conventional die casting conditions. . This discovery made it possible to reduce the alloying silicon content in order to achieve HPDC case alloys with longer flow lengths and improved ductility.

FIG. 6B is a line graph showing calculated results showing the relationship between bend angle and FCC (eg, aluminum matrix) mole fraction as a function of silicon content for alloys of some embodiments. The FCC of aluminum is the most ductile phase present in the alloy composition, whereas the silicon eutectic phase is a relatively brittle phase. FIG. 6B shows such a relationship between aluminum and silicon, increasing the silicon content of the alloy decreases the FCC mole fraction and bend angle.

[Example 3]
FIG. 7 is a predictive modeling chart showing yield strength at a Cu:Mg ratio of 3:1 at various magnesium and silicon weight percentages for the alloys of some embodiments. An increase in copper, magnesium and/or silicon is calculated to increase the yield strength of the alloy in part through the formation of strengthening precipitates (e.g. _Mg2Si , _Al2Cu and AlCuMgSi), but the aluminum content A decrease in amount typically results in a decrease in ductility of the alloy. However, FIG. 7 shows that alloys within the silicon composition range of alloys 1, 2 or 3 in Table 2 and a Cu:Mg ratio of about 3:1 (eg, 2:1 to 4:1) yield strength and ductility. Demonstrates careful balancing. Such selection of Cu:Mg ratios unexpectedly and advantageously promotes the formation of AlCuMgSi precipitates and increases ductility relative to other precipitates (e.g., _Mg2Si and/or _Al2Cu ). Improves the yield strength of the alloy without substantial hindrance.

FIG. 8A is a plot showing experimental results of bend angles for several embodiments of alloys containing varying amounts of magnesium and strontium. As demonstrated, magnesium solute content and Mg ₂ Si both contribute to yield strength but adversely affect ductility.

FIG. 8B is a plot showing experimental results of tensile yield strength and bend angle for alloys of some embodiments having various copper and magnesium weight percentages. As demonstrated, the cast 3 mm coupon results were consistent with the predicted improvement in yield strength shown in Figure 7, resulting in a decrease in ductility associated with increasing magnesium content.

[Example 4]
9A and 9B are optical micrograph cross-sectional images of comparative alloys and alloys of the present disclosure, respectively, in which the indicated phases were located and analyzed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). The comparative alloy of FIG. 9A contains less than 0.05 wt. In FIG. 9A, feature 902 is an AlFeSi(Mn) phase with plate morphology found to contain less than 0.2 wt % V and feature 904 is found to contain more than 1.2 wt % V. AlFeSi(Mn+V) phase with spherical morphology which is more favorable for ductility. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that an increase in sharp morphological features (eg, plate morphology) caused in part by iron impurities increases alloy crack initiation and propagation.

In contrast, the alloys of FIG. 9B show a reduction in plate morphology and generally exhibit AlFeSi(Mn+V) phase features 906 with a spherical morphology more favorable to ductility found to contain more than 1.2 wt. . Thus, it is demonstrated that vanadium and manganese can be used to reduce the solubility of iron impurities and stabilize the AlFeSi(Mn,V) phase with rounded morphology. This allows the alloy to maintain high ductility performance at higher tolerances of Fe.

[Example 5]
FIG. 10A is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of an alloy of aluminum and silicon with 9.5 wt. % silicon and the remainder of the aluminum and incidental impurities; 1 is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of an alloy of , silicon, and strontium, added strontium and aluminum remnants and incidental impurities. While FIG. 10A shows a silicon eutectic phase with sharp morphologies known to reduce ductility, the use of the modifier strontium alloy in FIG. It has been shown to produce an alloy with a rounder morphology which is favorable for ductility.

Although specific embodiments have been described, these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in various other forms. Moreover, various omissions, substitutions, and modifications of the systems and methods described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

Any feature, material, property, or grouping described in connection with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example may be used in any other manner described in this section or elsewhere herein unless incompatible therewith. should be understood to be applicable to any aspect, embodiment, or example of All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings) and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed may be incorporated herein as such features. and/or may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of the steps are mutually exclusive. Protection is not limited to the details of any foregoing embodiments. Protection is limited to any novelty or any novel combination of features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) or any method so disclosed. or extend to any novel one or any novel combination of process steps.

Moreover, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Further, although features may be described above as working in particular combinations, one or more features from the claimed combinations may, as the case may be, be omitted from the combination, and the combination may be a subcombination or It may be claimed as a subcombination variant.

Further, although acts may be illustrated in the drawings or described herein in a particular order, such acts may be performed in the specific order shown, or in a sequential order, to achieve desirable results. or all actions need not be performed. Other acts not shown or described may be incorporated into the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional acts may be performed before, after, concurrently with, or between any of the acts described. Additionally, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the actual steps performed in the depicted and/or disclosed processes may differ from those depicted in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be omitted and others may be added. Moreover, features and attributes of particular embodiments disclosed above can be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which are within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the separation of various system components in the above embodiments should not be understood to require such separation in all embodiments, the components and systems described generally being a single unit. It should be understood that they may be integrated together in a product or packaged in multiple products. For example, any of the components of the energy storage systems described herein may be provided separately or integrated (e.g., packaged together) to form the energy storage system. or attached together).

For purposes of the disclosure, specific aspects, advantages and novel features have been described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure achieves one advantage or advantages as taught herein without necessarily attaining other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. It will be appreciated that it may be embodied or implemented to do so.

Conditional language such as "can," "could," "might," or "may," unless otherwise specified or in the context of use In general, it is intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and/or steps, but other embodiments do not, unless understood in the sense of . Thus, such conditional language generally states that a feature, element, and/or step is somehow required in one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments require user input. or, with or without prompting, necessarily include logic for determining whether these features, elements, and/or steps should be included or performed in any particular embodiment. not something to do.

Conjunctions such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y and Z" are commonly used to convey that an item, term, etc. can be either X, Y, or Z unless otherwise specified. understood in context. Thus, such conjunctions are generally not intended to imply that a particular embodiment requires the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

As used herein, the terms "approximately," "about," "generally," and "substantially," etc. represents a value, amount or property proximate to the recited value, amount or property that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms "approximately," "about," "generally," and "substantially" refer to the stated amount, depending on the desired function or desired result. can refer to amounts less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.1%, and less than 0.01% of the

The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere herein, as presented in this section or elsewhere herein. may be defined by the claims as such or as presented in the future. Claim language is to be interpreted broadly based on the language used in the claims and not limited to the examples set forth herein or during prosecution of the application, which examples are non-exclusive. should be construed as

Headings provided herein, if any, are for convenience only and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the apparatus and methods disclosed herein.

Claims (23)

An alloy composition containing Al,
An alloy composition, wherein the alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa at a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm and a bend angle of at least about 20°, as cast and without further treatment. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa as cast and without further treatment. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises a bend angle of at least about 24[deg.] at a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm, as cast and without further treatment. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein said alloy comprises a flow length of at least about 1.8 m. The composition of claim 1, wherein said alloy comprises an α-Al volume fraction of at least about 90%. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises from about 0.03% to about 0.25% by weight Mg ₂ Si phase. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises from about 0.01 wt% to about 0.9 wt% _Al2Cu phase. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises from about 0.03 wt% to about 0.2 wt% AlCuMgSi phase. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises from about 0.3 wt% to about 3 wt% AlFeSi phase. 2. The composition of claim 1, further comprising Cu and Mg, wherein the weight ratio of Cu:Mg is from about 4:1 to about 2:1. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alloy has an oxygen reduction factor (ORF) for A380 reaction rate of up to about 1. about 6-11% Si by weight;
about 0.3-0.8 wt% Cu;
about 0.3-0.8% by weight Mn;
about 0.1-0.4% by weight Mg;
up to about 0.5 wt% Fe;
about 0.05-0.15% by weight of V;
about 0.01-0.05% by weight Sr;
up to about 0.15 wt% Ti;
up to about 0.03 wt% Cr;
balance Al and incidental impurities,
2. The composition of claim 1, further comprising: about 6.5-7.5 wt% Si;
about 0.4-0.8 wt% Cu;
about 0.3-0.7 wt% Mn;
about 0.1-0.4% by weight Mg;
up to about 0.4 wt% Fe;
about 0.05-0.15% by weight of V;
about 0.01-0.03% by weight Sr;
up to about 0.15 wt% Ti;
up to about 0.03 wt% Cr;
balance Al and incidental impurities,
2. The composition of claim 1, further comprising: about 6-11% Si by weight;
about 0.3-0.8 wt% Cu;
about 0.3-0.8% by weight Mn;
about 0.15-0.4% by weight Mg;
up to about 0.5 wt% Fe;
about 0.05-0.15% by weight of V;
about 0.01-0.05% by weight Sr;
up to about 0.15 wt% Ti;
up to about 0.03 wt% Cr;
balance Al and incidental impurities,
2. The composition of claim 1, further comprising: 13. The composition of claim 12, wherein said incidental impurities are up to about 0.1% by weight. An automotive article comprising the composition of claim 1. 17. The article of Claim 16, wherein the automotive article is an automotive chassis. A method for preparing an alloy comprising:
providing alloying constituents, at least one of said alloying constituents comprising Al;
melting the alloy components to form a molten alloy;
cooling the molten alloy to form an as-cast alloy;
A method, wherein the as-cast alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa and a bend angle of at least about 20° at a cross-sectional thickness of 3 mm. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein no further processing is performed on the as-cast alloy. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising die casting the molten alloy. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the die casting is high pressure die casting (HPDC). 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising further processing the as-cast alloy to form a processed alloy. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein said further treatment step is selected from the group consisting of heat treatment, aging, solution treatment, surface finishing, and combinations thereof.

Images