MXPA06009461A - In-line method of making heat-treated and annealed - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of making aluminum alloy sheet in a continuous in-line process is provided. A continuously-cast aluminum alloy strip is optionally quenched, hot or warm rolled, annealed or heat-treated in-line, optionally quenched, and preferably coiled, with additional hot, warm or cold rolling steps as needed to reach the desired gauge. The process can be used to make aluminum alloy sheet of T or O temper having the desired properties, in a much shorter processing time.

Description

METHOD IN PREPARATION OF ALUMINUM ALLOY SHEET TREATED WITH HEAT AND RECOCIDED Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of making an aluminum alloy sheet in a continuous online process. More specifically, a continuous process is used to make a tempered aluminum alloy sheet T or O having the desired properties with the minimum number of stages and the shortest processing time possible. - - BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional methods of manufacturing an aluminum alloy sheet for use in commercial applications, such as automotive panels, reinforcements, beverage containers and aerospace applications, employ batch or batch processes that include an extensive sequence of separate stages. . Commonly, a large ingot is melted to a thickness of approximately 76.20 centimeters (30 inches) and then cooled to room temperature, and subsequently stored for later use. When an ingot requires additional processing, the "scab" is first removed to remove surface defects. Once the REF have been removed. 175272 surface defects, the ingot is preheated to a temperature of approximately 560 ° C (1040 ° F) for a period of 20 to 30 hours to ensure that the components of the alloy are properly distributed throughout the metallurgical structure. Next, the ingot is cooled to a lower temperature to perform the hot rolling process. Several steps are applied to reduce the thickness of the ingot up to the interval required for its cold rolling process. Normally, an intermediate annealing or self-annealing process is carried out on the roll. Then, the "hot band" is cold rolled to the desired size and finally, it is rolled up. For products that are not heat treated, the coil or roll would be additionally annealed in a discontinuous step to obtain a temper-0. To produce the heat treated products, the rolled sheet is subjected to a separate heat treatment operation, commonly in a continuous heat treatment line. This involves the unwinding of the roll, then the heat treatment of solution at a high temperature, and the rapid cooling and rewinding of the same. The previous process, from start to finish, can take several weeks to prepare the roll for sale, resulting in large inventories of product work in progress and final product, as well as waste losses at each stage of the process. Due to the large amount of processing time in this flow path, numerous attempts have been made to shorten it by eliminating certain steps, while maintaining the desired properties in the finished product. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5, 655,593 discloses a method of making an aluminum alloy sheet wherein a thin strip is cast (instead of a coarse ingot), which is laminated rapidly and is continuously cooled for a period of less than 30 seconds to a temperature less than 176.67 ° C (350 ° F). U.S. Patent No. 5,772,802 describes a method in which the cast aluminum alloy strip is subjected to the processes of rapid cooling, rolling and annealing at temperatures between 315.56 and 648.89 ° C (600 and 1200 ° F). ) for a time- less than 120 seconds, followed by the processes of rapid cooling, rolling and aging or stabilization of internal stresses by rest. U.S. Patent No. 5,356,495 describes a process in which the molten strip is hot rolled, then hot rolled and maintained at a hot rolled temperature for a time of 2 to 120 minutes., followed by the unwinding, rapid cooling and cold rolling at a temperature below 148.89 ° C (300 ° F), followed by the new winding of the sheet. None of the above methods describe or suggest the sequence of steps of the present invention. There is a continuing need to provide a continuous on-line method of making a heat treated (tempered T) and annealed (tempered O) sheet having the desired properties in a shorter period of time, with less or no inventory and fewer losses of waste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above need by providing a method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy sheet in an inline continuous sequence comprising (i) providing a strip of continuously cast aluminum alloy as the material of feeding; (ii) rapidly cooling, optionally, the feed material at the preferred hot rolling temperature; (iii) hot-melt or hot-run laminate the rapidly cooled feed material to the required thickness; (iv) anneal or heat-treat the in-line feed material, depending on the desired alloying and tempering; and (v) rapidly cooling, optionally, the feed material. Preferably, additional steps include stress leveling and winding or winding.

This method allows the elimination of many stages and a lot of processing time, and still originates an aluminum alloy sheet having all the desired properties. Both of the heat treated and tempered 0 products are made on the same production line, which takes approximately 30 seconds to convert the molten metal into a finished roll. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a continuous on-line method of making an aluminum alloy sheet having properties similar to or exceeding those properties provided with conventional methods.An additional objective of the present invention is to provide a continuous on-line method of making an aluminum alloy sheet more quickly by minimizing waste and processing time.An additional objective of the present invention is to provide a continuous on-line method of making an alloy sheet of aluminum, in a more efficient and economical process These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following figures, the detailed description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is further illustrated by the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a flow diagram of the steps of the method of the present invention, in one embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the apparatus used to perform the method of the present invention. Figure 3 is a further embodiment of the apparatus used to perform the method of the present invention. This line is provided with four rolling mills to achieve a finer finish gauge. Figure 4A is a graph showing the equidistant biaxial stretching performance of a 6022-T43 sheet (with a 0.889 mm (0.035 inch) gauge) that is produced in line when compared to the sheet made from the DC ingot and It is treated with heat outside the line. Figure 4B is a graph showing the equidistant biaxial stretching performance of a 6022-T43 alloy made in line compared to the sheet that is made from the DC ingot and heat treated off-line. Figure 5 is an image of Sample 804908 (Alloy 6022 in the tempered T43 after electron coating.) Figure 6A is an image showing the grain size of the 6022 Alloy laminated in line in a 0.889 mm (0.035) gauge. inches) without fast precooling Figure 6B is an image showing the grain size of the 6022 Alloy rolled in line up to a 0.889 mm (0.035 inch) gauge Figure 7A depicts a finished structure melting in section Transverse of Alloy 6022. Figures 7B and 7C consist of two images demonstrating the surface and coating structure of Alloy 6022 in a newly melted cross-sectional condition, Figures 7D and 7E are images of the central zone structure. of Alloy 6022 in a finished melting condition in cross-section Figures 7F and 7G consist of two images demonstrating the pores and constituents (principle AlFeSi particles) in the central area of the molten structure of Alloy 6022 in cross section. Figure 8 depicts the finished fused microstructure of the Al + 3.5% Mg Alloy in the transverse direction.

Detailed Description of the Invention The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy sheet in an in-line continuous sequence comprising: (i) providing a thin strip of continuously cast aluminum alloy as the feedstock; (ii) rapidly cooling, optionally, the feed material to the preferred hot or hot rolling temperature; (iii) hot or hot laminating the feed material rapidly cooled to the desired final thickness, (iv) annealing or heat treating the in-line feed material, depending on the alloy and tempering desired; and (v) rapidly cooling, optionally, the feedstock, after which it is preferred that the tensions be leveled and subsequently, that it be wound. This method originates an aluminum alloy sheet having the desired dimensions and properties. In a preferred embodiment, the aluminum alloy sheet is rolled or wound for later use. This sequence of steps is reflected in the flow chart of Figure 1, which shows the strip material of continuously cast aluminum alloy 1, which is optionally passed through the stations of cutting and cutting 2, optionally, it is quickly cooled down for temperature adjustment 4, then it is hot-rolled 6 and optionally, it is trimmed 8. The feed material is then annealed 16, followed by the appropriate rapid cooling 18 and the optional winding 20 to produce the tempering products O 22, or heat treated with solution 10, followed by the appropriate rapid cooling 12 and the optional winding 14 to produce the tempering products T 2. As can be seen in Figure 1, the temperature of the heating stage and the subsequent rapid cooling step will vary depending on the desired tempering. As used herein, the term "annealing" refers to a heating process that causes recrystallization of the metal resulting in uniform formability and aids in the control of stretching in certain directions. The common temperatures used in the annealing of aluminum alloys range from approximately 315.56 to 482.22 ° C (600 to 900 ° F). Also as used herein, the term "solution heat treatment" refers to a metallurgical process in which the metal is maintained at a high temperature to thereby cause the second phase particles of the alloying elements to dissolve. in a solid solution. The temperatures used in the heat treatment solution are generally higher than those used in annealing, and fluctuate to approximately 571.11 ° C (1060 ° F). Then, this condition is maintained by rapid chilling of the metal for the purpose of stretching the final product by controlled precipitation (aging). As used herein, the term "feed material" refers to the strip-shaped aluminum alloy. The feedstock employed in the practice of the present invention can be prepared through any number of continuous casting techniques that are well known to those skilled in the art. A preferred method of making the strip is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,496,423 published by Wyatt-Mair and Harrington. Another preferred method is described in Co-pending Applications Nos. Serial No. 10 / 078,638 (now, US Pat. No. 6, 672,368) and 10 / 377,376, both of which are assigned to the signer hereof. invention. Preferably, the continuously molten aluminum alloy strip ranges from about 1524 to 6.35 mm (0.06 to 0.25 inches) in thickness, more preferably, about 2.03 to 3.55 mm (0.08 to 0.14 inches) in thickness. Commonly, the cast strip will have a width of approximately 2.73 meters (90 inches), depending on the desired continuous processing and the final use of the. sheet. Next, with reference to Figure 2, a preferred apparatus that is used to perform a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention is shown schematically. The molten metal, which will be melted, is maintained in melting vessels 31, 33 and 35, is passed through the conduits 36 and is further prepared by the degassing 37 and filtering -39 processes. The tundish 41 supplies the molten metal to the continuous moulder 45. The metal feed material 46 emerging from the moulder 45 is moved through the optional cutting stations 47 and trim 49 for edge trim and cross-section, after which is passed to the fast cooling station 51 for the adjustment of the rolling temperature. The cutting station is operated when the process is interrupted, while when the process is in operation, the cutting station is opened. After the optional rapid cooling process 51, the feed material 46 is passed through a rolling mill 53, from which it emerges in the final required thickness. The feed material 46 is passed through a gauge or thickness gauge 54, a configuration gauge 55 and optionally, is cut out 57 and subsequently, it is annealed or heat treated with solution in the heater 59. Following the annealing / heat treatment of solution in the heater 59, the feedstock 46 passes through a profile gauge 61 and optionally, is rapidly cooled in the rapid quench station 63. Additional steps include passing the material from feed 46 through a tension leveler to flatten the sheet at station 65 and subject it to a surface inspection at station 67. Next, the resulting aluminum alloy sheet is wound on winding station 69. The length The total processing line from the moulder to the winder is estimated to be approximately 76.20 meters (250 feet). Therefore, the total processing time of the molten metal to the coil is approximately 30 seconds. Any one of a variety of rapid cooling devices could be used in the practice of the present invention. Normally, the rapid cooling station is one in which a cooling fluid, either in liquid or gaseous form, is sprayed onto the hot feed material to rapidly reduce its temperature. Convenient cooling fluids include water, air, liquefied gases such as carbon dioxide, and the like. It is preferred that rapid cooling be performed promptly in order to reduce the temperature of the hot feed material rapidly to avoid substantial precipitation of the alloy elements from the solid solution.

In general, rapid cooling at station 51 reduces the temperature of the feed material as it emerges from the continuous molder at a temperature of approximately 537.78 ° C (1000 ° F) to the desired hot or hot rolling temperature. In general, the feed material will come out of the rapid cooling in station 51 with a temperature ranging from about 204.44 to 482.22 ° C (400 to 900 ° F), depending on the "Alloy and tempering desired Water sprays or rapid air cooling could be used for this purpose Normally, hot or hot rolling 53 is carried out at temperatures that are within the range of approximately 204.44 to 648.89 ° C ( 400 to 1200 ° F), more preferably, from 371.11 to 537.78 ° C (700 to 1000 ° F) The range of thickness reduction effected by the hot rolling step of the present invention is intended to reach Commonly, this involves a reduction of approximately 55% and the caliper of the finished strip is adjusted to achieve this reduction.The temperature of the sheet at the exit of the rolling station is approximately between 148.89 and 426.67 ° C (300 and 800 ° F), more preferably, 287.78 to 426.67 ° C (550 to 800 ° F), because the sheet is cooled by the rolls during the laminating process Preferably, the thickness of the feedstock as it emerges from the rolling station 53 will be approximately 0.508 to 3.81 mm (0.02 to 0.15 inches), more preferably, approximately 0.762 to 2.03 mm ( 0.03 to 0.08 inches). The temperature rise made in heater 59 is determined by the desired alloying and tempering in the finished product. In a preferred embodiment, for T-tempers, the feedstock will be heat-treated from in-line solution at temperatures above about 510 ° C (950 ° F), preferably from about 526.67 to 537.78 ° C (980 to 1000) ° F). The heating is performed for a period of about 0.1 to 3 seconds, more preferably, about 0.4 to 0.6 seconds. In another preferred embodiment, when tempering 0 is desired, the feed material will only require the annealing process, which can be achieved at lower temperatures, typically, approximately 371.11 to 510 ° C (700 to 950 ° F), more preferably, approximately 426.67 to 482.22 ° C (800 to 900 ° F), depending on the alloy. Once again, the heating is performed for a period of approximately 0.1 to 3 seconds, more preferably, approximately 0.4 to 0.6 seconds. In a similar way, the rapid cooling in the station 63 will be a function of the desired tempering in the final product. For example, the feed material that has been treated, with solution heat will be rapidly cooled, preferably, it will be rapidly cooled with air and water approximately 43.33 to 121.11 ° C (110 to 250 ° F), preferably about 71.11 to 82.22 ° C (160 to 180 ° F) and subsequently, it will be wound. Preferably, the rapid cooling in station 63 is a rapid cooling with water or a rapid cooling -with air or a combined rapid cooling in which water is first applied to bring the temperature of the sheet just above the Leindenfrost temperature. (approximately 287.78 ° C (550 ° F) for many aluminum alloys) and is continued by rapid air cooling. This method will combine the advantage of rapid cooling of the fast cooling with water with the rapid cooling of low effort of air jets that will provide a high quality surface in the product and minimize the distortion. For products treated with heat, the outlet temperature of 93.33 ° C (200 ° F) or below is preferred. The . Products that have been annealed rather than heat treated will be cooled fast, preferably, they will be rapidly cooled with air and water, at approximately a temperature of 43.33 to 382.22 ° C (110 to 720 ° F), preferably, approximately 360 to 371.11 ° C (680 to 700 ° F) for some products and at lower temperatures around 93.33 ° C (200 ° F) for other products that are subjected to precipitation of intermetallic compounds during cooling, and subsequently, they are wound. Although the process of the invention thus described in "one embodiment having a single stage of hot or hot rolling to achieve the required final gauge, other modalities are contemplated, and any combination of hot and cold rolling could be used for achieve thinner calibers, for example, gauges of approximately 0.177 to 1.905 mm (0.007 to 0.075 inches) .The rolling mill arrangement for thin gauges could comprise a hot rolling step, followed by the hot rolling steps and / or in cold, as needed In this arrangement, the annealing and solution heat treatment station will be placed after the final gauge is reached, which will be followed by the quick chilling station. line and rapid cooling could be placed between the stages of rolling for intermediate annealing and to keep the solute in solution, according to the If necessary, rapid pre-cooling before hot rolling needs to be included in any of these arrangements for adjusting the temperature of the strip in order to control the grain size. .-The rapid cooling stage - Prior is a prerequisite for alloys subjected to heat brittleness. Figure 3 shows, schematically, an apparatus for one of many alternative embodiments in which additional heating and rolling steps are performed. The metal is heated in an oven 80 and the molten metal is held in shaping containers 81, 82. Thereafter, the molten metal is passed through the conduit 84 and is further prepared by the degassing 86 and filtering 88 processes. The tundish 90 it supplies the molten metal to the continuous moulder 92, exemplified as a band moulder, but is not limited thereto. The metal feed material 94 emerging from the moulder 92 is moved through the optional cutter stations 96 and cutout 98 for edge trimming and cross section, after which it is passed to an optional quick-chill station 100. for the adjustment of the laminate temperature. After the rapid cooling process 100, the feed material 94 is passed through a hot rolling mill 102, from which it emerges in an intermediate thickness. The feed material 94 is then subjected to an additional hot rolling 104 and a cold rolling 106, 108 to achieve the final gauge that is desired. Then, the feed material 94 is optionally trimmed 110 and then annealed or heat treated with solution in the heater 112. Following the annealing heat treatment solution in the heater 112, the feed material 94 optionally passes through a profile gauge 113 and optionally, it is rapidly cooled in the rapid cooling station 114. The originating sheet is subjected to X-rays 116, 118 and to a surface inspection 120 and subsequently optionally rolled up. _- Suitable alloys of aluminum for alloys that can be heat treated include, but are not limited to, those of Series 2XXX, 6XXX and 7XXX. Suitable alloys that can not be heat treated include, but are not limited to, those of Series 1XXX, 3XXX and 5XXX. The present invention is also applicable to new alloys and non-conventional alloys since it has a wide window of operation both with respect to the processes of casting, rolling and in-line processing. EXAMPLES The following examples are intended to illustrate the invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention in any way. Example 1: Online manufacturing of an alloy that can be treated with heat. An aluminum alloy that can be treated with heat was processed in line by the method of the present invention. The composition of the foundry was selected from the range of Alloy 6022 that is used for automotive panels. The analysis of the merger was as follows: Element Percentage by weight Yes 0.8 Fe 0.1 Cu 0.1 Mn 0.1 Mg 0.7 The alloy was cast in a thickness of 2,159 mm (0.085 inches) at a speed of 76 meters per minute (250 feet per minute) and was processed in-line by hot rolling in one stage to a final gauge of 0.889 mm (0.035 inches), followed by heating to a temperature of 526.67 ° C (980 ° F) for one second for the heat treatment of solution after which rapid cooling was performed at 71.11 ° C (160 ° F) by means of water sprays and subsequently, it was rolled up. The samples were then removed from the outermost coil turns for evaluation. A set of samples was allowed to stabilize at room temperature for a period of 4 to 10 days. to reach the tempered T4. A second set was subjected to special aging treatment prior to 82.22 ° C (180 ° F) for eight hours before it was stabilized. This special tempering is called T43. The operation of the samples was evaluated through several tests that included the response to the folding over itself, tension in one direction, equidistant biaxial stretching (hydraulic blister lift test) and aging in an automotive paint firing cycle. The results obtained were compared with those obtained in the sheet of the same alloy prepared through the conventional ingot method. The deformed samples of the hydraulic blister lift test were also subjected to a simulated automotive paint cycle to verify surface quality and response to painting. In all aspects, the sheet manufactured in line through the present method also behaved or better than the foil of the ingot method.

Table 1: Tension properties of sheet 6022-T43 manufactured online through the present method. The measurements were made after nine days of natural aging in ASTM specimens. Foundry number: 031009.

Notes: 1. Tempering T 3 was obtained by holding the samples at 82.22 ° C (180 ° F) for 8 hours in a separate oven after manufacture. The time between manufacturing and entering samples in the oven was less than 10 minutes.

The results of the stress test are shown in Table 1 for the tempering sheet T43 compared to those common results for the sheet made from an ingot. It is observed in all aspects, that the properties of the sheet made through the present method exceeded the requirements of the client and were well compared with those of the conventional sheet in the same tempering. With respect to the isotropy of the properties that were measured by the r values, for example, the sheet of the present method obtained 0.897 compared with 0.668 for the ingot. In these tests, a generally higher strain hardening coefficient of 0.27 was found (compared to 0.23 for the ingot). Both of these two findings are important because they suggest that the sheet of the present method is more isotropic and has better ability to resist thinning during forming operations. Similar observations were also applied to samples of T4 tempering sheet. The flat bending tests were performed after 28 days of aging at room temperature. In these tests, a previous stretch of 11% was applied compared to the 7% required in the customer specifications. Even according to these more severe conditions, all the samples obtained an acceptable nominal value of 2 or 1, Table 2. In a similar test, the sheet made from ingot shows an average of 2-3 in the longitudinal and longitudinal folds. 2 in the transverse folds. This suggests that the sheet manufactured in line has a superior bending capacity. Some samples were heat treated off-line solution in a salt bath after fabrication. When tested, these samples also showed excellent bending performance on their own as seen in Table 2.

Table 2: nominal value of flat bending (in a previous stretch of 11%) after 28 days of natural aging for a 6022 alloy in a caliber of 0.889 mm (0.035 inches) (foundry number: 030820).

Notes: Tempering T4 was obtained by holding the samples at 82.22 ° C (180 ° F) for eight hours in a separate oven after manufacture. The time between manufacturing and entering samples in the oven was less than 10 minutes. The requirement for bending: a nominal value of 2 or less than a previous stretch of 7%. In equidistant biaxial stretching using the hydraulic blister lift test, the performance of the sheet made in line was comparable with those of the sheet made from an ingot as seen in the stress and strain curves 4a and 4b. This observation was applied in both the tempered T4 and the tempered T 3. The performance in this test was particularly important because it is known that continuous casting materials do not usually perform well in this test due to the presence of a segregation of the central line of coarse or coarse inter-metallic particles.

The response to the paint firing cycle was evaluated by keeping the samples in an oven at 170 ° C (338 ° F) for a duration of 20 minutes (Nissan cycle). The elastic limit of tension of the samples increased up to 13 ksi for this treatment, Table 3. In all cases, the required minimum of 27.5 ksi was easily met in tempering T43. The total response in that tempering was comparable with the average performance of the sheet made from DC ingot. As expected, the T4 tempering samples were somewhat unsatisfactory in this regard.

Table 3: Response of the paint firing of the C710 Alloy produced in Reno in 0.889 mm (0.035 inch) laminate gauge. Casting no .: 030820, paint baking cycle of Nissan / Toyota: 2% stretch, 170 ° C (338 ° F) / 20 minutes. TYS required: 27.5 ksi min.

Notes: 1. Samples were maintained at 82.22 ° C (180 ° F) for 8 hours for tempering T43 (aging of rapid cooling). 2. Samples 804912 and 804914: the heat treatment of laboratory solution was performed in a salt bath under the indicated conditions followed by rapid cooling with water.

The deformed specimens of the hydraulic test of the blister survey were inspected to check the surface quality and it was found that they showed undesirable characteristics such as orange peel, blisters, and so on. The selected blister samples were subjected to a simulated cycle of automotive paint. Figure 5 shows an excellent painted surface quality without paint brush lines, blisters or linear features. The sheet in a finished gauge was examined to verify grain size and found to have an average grain size of 27 μm in the longitudinal direction and 36 μm in the thickness direction, Figure 6.

This grain size is substantially thinner than the common size of 50 to 55 μm for the sheet made from ingot. Because the fine grain size is recognized to be generally beneficial, it is likely that a part of the good / superior properties of the sheet made through the present method were due to this factor. It was found that an even finer grain size could be obtained in the present method by rapidly cooling the strip to approximately 371.11 ° C (700 ° F) before it was laminated. This effect is illustrated in Figures 6a and 6b where the two samples are presented side by side. The grain size of the cooled sample (6b) was 20 μm in the longitudinal direction and -27 μm in the transverse direction, while it was 7 and 9 μm, respectively, finer than those observed in the sheet that was not had previous rapid cooling (6a). Samples from the newly cast strip were quickly cooled and examined in metallographic form for a further understanding of the benefits of the casting of the delegated strip. The samples presented the three layer structure characteristic of the Alcoa strip casting process, Figure 7a. The surfaces of the strip were clean (without liquefaction, blisters or other surface defects) with a fine microstructure, Figure 7b. Unlike the continuously molten material by the Hazelett strip moulders or roll moulders, the strip of the present method did not exhibit a centerline segregation of the coarse intermetallic compounds. In contrast, the final solidification liquid formed fine particles of second phase between the grains in a central zone that covered approximately 25% of the section, Figure 7c. This absence of marked central line segregation in the present method provided the good mechanical properties observed, especially in equidistant biaxial stretching tests. The majority of the second phase particles observed were the AlFeSi phase with an average size < 1 μm, Figure 7d. Some MG2Si particles were observed in the central zone of the sample, although none was observed in the outer "coatings", Figure 7b. This "suggested that rapid solidification in the moulder was able to keep the solute in solution in the outer zones of the structure.This factor, combined with the total fine micro-structure of the strip (see Table 4), allowed complete dissolution of the entire solute substantially at lower temperatures of the heat treatment solution of 510 to 526.67 ° C (950 to 980 ° F) than the 571.11 ° C (1060 ° F) that would have been necessary for the prepared sheet to from the DC ingot Table 4: Characteristics of constituent particles and pores found in the finished cast samples of the C710 Alloy (Foundry number: 030820) Notes: 1. The constituents were mainly the AlFeSi phase. A small amount of g2Si was also observed in the central zone. 2 . Each result has 20 different average tables Example 2: Online manufacturing of an alloy that can not be treated with heat. An aluminum alloy that can not be treated with heat was processed by the method of the present invention. The composition of the foundry was selected from the range of the 5754 alloy that is used for interior panels and car reinforcements. The analysis of the fusion was as follows: Element Percentage by weight Si 0.2 Fe 0.2 Cu 0.1 Mn 0.2 Mg 3.5 The alloy was cast in a strip thickness of 2.159 mm (0.085 inches) at a speed of 76 meters per minute (250 feet) per minute). The strip was first cooled to approximately 371.11 ° C (700 ° F) by water sprays placed before the rolling mill, after which it was immediately processed in-line by hot rolling in one step to a final gauge of 1016. mm (0.040 inches), followed by heating to a temperature of 482.22 ° C (900 ° F) for 1 second for recrystallization annealing after which it was rapidly cooled to 87.78 ° C (190 ° F) by means of sprays of water and then it was rolled up. The performance of the samples was evaluated by stress tests in one direction and by limiting the height of the dome (LDH). The results of the. Tension test are shown in Table 5. The TYS and the elongation of the sample in the longitudinal direction were 15.2 ksi and 25.7%, respectively, also above the minimum of 12 ksi and 17% required for the Alloy 5754. The UTS value was 35.1 ksi, in the middle part of the interval specified as 29-39 ksi. In the limiting dome height test, a value of 24.2 mm (0.952 inches) was measured that met the minimum required value of 23.36 mm (0.92 inches). These values were well compared with the common properties reported for the sheet prepared from the DC ingot. The sheet of the present invention had a higher elongation, a larger UTS and a higher strain hardening coefficient n. A higher value of anisotropy r was expected, although it was not verified in the test of this sample. The r value was 0.864 compared to 0.92 for the DC plate. The sheet in the finished gauge was examined to verify grain size and found to have an average grain size of 11-14 μm (ASTM 9.5). This is substantially thinner than the common 16 μm grain size for the sheet made from the ingot. Because a fine grain size is recognized to be generally beneficial, it is likely that some of the good / superior properties of the sheet made by the present method were due to this factor. The samples of the newly melted strip were rapidly cooled and examined in metallographic form. Despite the differences in chemical composition, the newly cast samples showed the same three-layer structure as described above for Alloy 6022, Figure 8. This confirms that the fine three-layer micro-structure that allows the " On-line processing of the strip described in this invention is a feature of the Alcoa strip casting process Variations of the manufacturing trajectory were also investigated In a test, a 1.24 mm (0.049 inch) gauge sheet was fabricated On-line without annealing, Table 5. Then, the sample was quickly annealed off-line in a salt bath at 523.89 ° C (975 ° F) for 15 seconds followed by rapid water cooling. similar and a high value of r comparable with those described above for the sheet manufactured with annealing in line.This equivalence confirmed that the online manufacturing is able to develop the total properties of the alloy in the tempering-O. In another test, the strip was hot-rolled in line to a gauge of 1,244 mm (0.049 inches) and was rapidly cooled to 71.11 ° C (160 ° F) without in-line annealing. Then, the strip was cold-rolled to a gauge of 0.889 mm (0.035 inches) and was rapidly annealed at a temperature of 510 ° C (950 ° F) for 15 seconds, Table 5. This sheet also developed good mechanical properties. These observations suggested that hot rolling and cold rolling could be combined with a final in-line annealing to make the sheet of a wide range of thicknesses of tempering-0 products by the present invention. Table 5 One-way stress test results for the AX alloy of Al-3.5% Mg in-line processed by. the present invention Notes: 1. Registered AA requirements for 5754. YS-12 ksi min. (L), UTS = 29-39 ksi (L). Elongation 17% minimum (L), LDH = 23. mm (0.92 inches) minimum. 2. Samples 805314 and 805035 were reclined off-line in a salt bath at 510 ° C (950 ° F) and 523.89 ° C (975 ° F), respectively, for 15 seconds after which they were cooled with speed in water.

Example 3: Online manufacturing of an ultra-high Mg alloy that can not be heat treated. An alloy of Al-10% Mg was processed by the method of the present invention. The composition of the melt was as follows: Element Percentage by weight Si 0.2 Fe 0.2 Cu 0.2 Mn 0.3 Mg 9.5 The - alloy was cast in a strip thickness of 2108 mm (0.083 inches) at a speed of 70.10 meters per minute (230 feet per minute). First, the strip was cooled to approximately 343.33 ° C (650 ° F) by water sprays placed before the rolling mill. Next, the strip was immediately hot-rolled in one step up to a final gauge of 0.889 mm (0.035 inches) followed by annealing at 460 ° C (860 ° F) for one second for recrystallization and rapid cooling with sprayed at 87.78 ° C (190 ° F). Next, the sheet was rolled up. The performance of the sheet in the tempering-O was evaluated by stress tests in one direction based on ASTM - 4 samples d removed from the last turns of the coil. In the longitudinal direction, the samples showed TYS and UTS values of 32.4 and 58.7 ksi, respectively. These very high levels of resistance, higher approximately 30% than those reported for similar alloys, were accompanied by a high elongation: 32.5% of the total elongation and 26.6% of uniform elongation. The samples had a very fine grain structure approximately about 10 μm in size. Example 4: Online manufacturing of a self-recycling foil alloy. An Al-1.4% Mg alloy was processed by the method of the present invention. The composition of the melt was as follows: Element Percentage by weight Si 0.2 Fe 0.2 Cu 0.2 Mn 0.2 Mg 1.4 The alloy was cast in a strip thickness of 2.18 mm (0.086 inches) at a speed of 72.96 meters per minute (240 feet) per minute). It was then laminated to a caliber of 1,016 mm (0.04 inches) in one stage, then quickly recognized at 510 ° C (950 ° F), after which it was rapidly cooled with water and finally rolled up. The rapid cooling of the laminated sheet was carried out in two different ways to obtain the tempering 0 and the tempering T by means of different adjustments of the subsequent rapid cooling 63. For the tempering T, the strip was previously cooled rapidly by rapid cooling 53 approximately at 371.11 ° C (700 ° F) before the tempered laminate to a gauge and then rapidly cooled down to 76.67 ° C (170 ° F) (sample # 804995 in the Table 6) in a second case, the sheet was subsequently cooled down rapidly to approximately 371.11 ° C (700 ° F) and - It was coiled tempered to create the tempered O. The tempering coil O was made by both the tempered laminate (sample: 804997) and by hot rolling (sample: 804999). The performance of the sheet was evaluated by stress tests in one direction based on ASTM - 4 d samples and by the hydraulic test of the blister lift. In the tempered T, the sheet presented values of the elastic limit of tension, final resistance of traction and elongation above the requirements for the 5754 alloy in the temper-0 and were as good as those available in the sheet made by the conventional method of ingot, Table 6. In the hydraulic test of the blister lift also the performance or performance of the tempering T AX-07 was very close of the performance of Alloy 5754, Figure 8. This suggests that AX-07 in the hardened T made by the method of the present invention can be used to replace the 5754 sheet in interior parts and body reinforcements in automotive applications. This replacement would have the advantage of making those recyclable parts in 6xxx series alloys, by virtue of the lower Mg content, used in the outer sheet parts of the cars without the need for separation. The samples were also tested in the temper-0 processed by the present method. In this tempering, the resistance levels were lower, around an elastic limit of 8.8. ksi and a tensile strength of 23 ksi. The hydraulic test performance of the blister lift improved by matching that of the conventional 5754 alloy as can be seen in Figure 8. In this way, this tempering offers a material that would be more easily formed at lower pressure loads. While the particular embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of the present invention could be made without departing from the invention as defined in the claims. Attached It is noted that in relation to this date the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. "CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property: 1. A method of manufacturing a tempered aluminum alloy sheet 0 in a continuous on-line sequence, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (i) ) provide a thin cast strip of aluminum alloy or continuously cast as the feedstock; (ii) rapidly cooling the feed material with a rapid cooling device at a temperature for feeding in a hot or hot rolling mill; (iii) hot foil or at a warm temperature the feed material; and (iv) annealing the feed material in-line, to produce the tempering aluminum alloy O.
2. 2. The method according to claim 1, further characterized by comprising the leveling of the tension and the winding of the alloy sheet. of aluminum without requiring cold rolling before leveling and winding the aluminum alloy sheet.
3. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the hot or hot rolling step (iii) is performed at a temperature of approximately 204.44 to 548.89 ° C (400 to 1020 ° F). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the feedstock has a temperature of approximately 148.89 to 454.44 ° C (300 to 850 ° F) based on the exit of the laminate in step (iii). 5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the feed material leaves the quick-cooling device at a temperature of approximately 204.44 to 482.22 ° C (400 to 900 ° F-). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in step (iv) the feedstock is annealed in line at a temperature of approximately 371.11 to 510 ° C (700 to 950 ° F). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the annealing is carried out for a period of approximately 0.1 to 10 seconds. 8. The method according to claim 1, further characterized by comprising the rapid quenching of the feedstock after step (iv) at a temperature of about 43.33 to 382.22 ° C (110 to 720 ° F). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the rapid cooling of the feedstock in step (ii) is at a temperature below 398.89 ° C (750 ° F). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the strip of continuous cast aluminum alloy has a thickness of approximately 1.524 to 6.35 mm (0.06 to 0.25 inches). 11. A method of manufacturing a tempered aluminum alloy sheet T in a continuous on-line sequence, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (i) providing a thin cast strip of aluminum alloy or continuously cast, such as feeding material; (ii) rapidly cooling the feed material with a rapid cooling device at a temperature; (iii) hot foil or at a warm temperature the feed material; and (iv) treating the in-line feed material with solution heat to produce the tempering aluminum alloy T. 12. The method according to the claim 11, further characterized in that it comprises the leveling of the tension and the winding of the aluminum alloy strip. 13. The method according to the claim 11, characterized in that the hot or hot rolling step (iii) is carried out at a temperature of about 204.44 to 548.89 ° C (400 to 1020 ° F). The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the feedstock has a temperature of approximately 148.89 to 454.44 ° C (300 to 850 ° F) based on the exit of the laminate in step (iii). 15. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the feed material leaves the rapid cooling device at one. temperature approximately "204.44 to 482.22 ° C (400 to 900 ° F) 16. The method according to the claim 11, characterized in that in step (iv) the feedstock is heat treated with solution at a temperature of about 510 to 537.78 ° C (950 to 1000 ° F). 17. The method of compliance with the claim 11, characterized in that the solution heat treatment is carried out for a period of approximately 0.1 to 10 seconds. 18. The method according to claim 11, further characterized in that it comprises the rapid quenching of the feedstock after step (iv) at a temperature of about .43.33 to 176.67 ° C (110 to 350 ° F). 1 . The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the rapid cooling of the feedstock in step (ii) is at a temperature below 398.89 ° C (750 ° F). . The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the strip of continuous cast aluminum alloy has a thickness of approximately 1.524 to 6.35 mm (0.06 to 0.25 inches).