US20230046008A1 - Die cast aluminum alloys for structural components - Google Patents

Die cast aluminum alloys for structural components Download PDF

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US20230046008A1
US20230046008A1 US17/758,864 US202117758864A US2023046008A1 US 20230046008 A1 US20230046008 A1 US 20230046008A1 US 202117758864 A US202117758864 A US 202117758864A US 2023046008 A1 US2023046008 A1 US 2023046008A1
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alloy
composition
cast
alloys
aluminum
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Jason Stucki
Grant Pattinson
Quinlin Hamill
Avinash Prabhu
Sivanesh Palanivel
Omar Lopez-Garrity
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Tesla Inc
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C21/00—Alloys based on aluminium
    • C22C21/02—Alloys based on aluminium with silicon as the next major constituent
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D17/00—Pressure die casting or injection die casting, i.e. casting in which the metal is forced into a mould under high pressure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D21/00—Casting non-ferrous metals or metallic compounds so far as their metallurgical properties are of importance for the casting procedure; Selection of compositions therefor
    • B22D21/002—Castings of light metals
    • B22D21/007—Castings of light metals with low melting point, e.g. Al 659 degrees C, Mg 650 degrees C
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D21/00—Casting non-ferrous metals or metallic compounds so far as their metallurgical properties are of importance for the casting procedure; Selection of compositions therefor
    • B22D21/02—Casting exceedingly oxidisable non-ferrous metals, e.g. in inert atmosphere
    • B22D21/04—Casting aluminium or magnesium
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D31/00—Cutting-off surplus material, e.g. gates; Cleaning and working on castings
    • B22D31/002—Cleaning, working on castings
    • B22D31/007—Tumbling mills
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C21/00—Alloys based on aluminium
    • C22C21/02—Alloys based on aluminium with silicon as the next major constituent
    • C22C21/04—Modified aluminium-silicon alloys
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
    • C22F1/04—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon
    • C22F1/043—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon of alloys with silicon as the next major constituent

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to aluminum alloys. More specifically, the present invention relates to aluminum alloys with improved strength, ductility, and castability for high-performance applications including automobile parts.
  • an alloy composition in one aspect, includes Al, wherein the alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa and a bend angle of at least about 20° at a 3 mm section thickness when as-cast and without further processing.
  • the alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa when as-cast and without further processing. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises a bend angle of at least about 24° at a 3 mm section thickness when as-cast and without further processing. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises a flow length of at least about 1.8 in. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises an ⁇ -Al volume fraction of at least about 90%.
  • the alloy comprises about 0.03 wt. % to about 0.25 wt. % of Mg 2 Si phases. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises about 0.01 wt. % to about 0.9 wt. % of Al 2 Cu phases. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises about 0.03 wt. % to about 0.2 wt. % of AlCuMgSi phases. In some embodiments; the alloy comprises about 0.3 wt. % to about 3 wt. % of AlFeSi phases. In some embodiments, the alloy composition further comprises Cu and Mg, wherein a weight ratio of Cu:Mg is about 4:1 to about 1:1. In some embodiments; the alloy has an oxygen reduction factor (ORF) with respect to A380 kinetics of at most about 1.
  • ORF oxygen reduction factor
  • the alloy composition further comprises one or more of:
  • the alloy composition further comprises one or more of:
  • the alloy composition further comprises one or more of:
  • the incidental impurities are at most about 0.1 wt. %.
  • an automobile article including the alloy composition is described.
  • the automobile article is an automobile chassis.
  • a process for preparing an alloy includes providing alloy components, wherein at least one of the alloy components comprises Al, melting the alloy components to form a melted alloy, and cooling the melted 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 200 at a 3 mm section thickness.
  • further processing is not performed on the as-cast alloy.
  • the process further comprises die-casting the melted alloy.
  • die-casting is high-pressure die-casting (HPDC)
  • HPDC high-pressure die-casting
  • the process further comprises further processing the as-cast alloy to form a processed alloy.
  • the further processing step is selected from the group consisting of heat treating, aging, solution treating, surface finishing and combinations thereof.
  • FIG. 1 is a chart showing bend angles and yield strengths numerous commercial alloys and the target alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 2 is a bar chart showing the predicted and tested yield strengths of alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 3 A is a plot of bend angles and ot-aluminum volume fractions for alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 3 B is a plot of bend angles and magnesium/nickel content for alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 4 is a bar chart showing the predicted and tested normalized flow lengths of alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 5 is a plot showing bend angles and yield strengths for alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 6 A is a bar chart showing experimental results of flow lengths and silicon content for alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 6 B is a line graph showing calculated results demonstrating the relationship between bend angle and FCC mole fraction as a function of silicon content for alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 7 is a predictive model chart showing yield strengths at Cu:Mg ratios of 3:1 at various magnesium and silicon weight percentages for alloys of some embodiments.
  • FIG. 8 A is a plot showing experimental results of bend angle for alloys of some embodiments including various magnesium and strontium amounts.
  • FIG. 8 B is a plot showing experimental results of tensile yield strength and bend angles for alloys of some embodiments with varying copper and magnesium weight percentages.
  • FIG. 9 A is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of a comparative alloy.
  • FIG. 9 B is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of an alloy according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 10 A is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of an aluminum and silicon alloy.
  • FIG. 10 B is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of an aluminum, silicon and strontium alloy.
  • Embodiments relate to aluminum alloys useful for creating products such as vehicle chassis or chassis components.
  • the vehicle is an electric vehicle powered by a battery pack.
  • the alloys were created to provide sufficient castability, and also provide relatively high yield strength and ductility, as well as eliminating the need for subsequent heat treatment of the cast alloy.
  • the alloy comprises a yield strength of at least about 130 MPa and a bend angle of at least about 20° at a 3 mm section thickness when as-cast and without further processing.
  • the aluminum alloys comprise vanadium to provide many of these enhancements.
  • the aluminum alloy has a specific weight ratio of copper to magnesium to provide many of these enhancements of an alloy with the desired features.
  • the aluminum alloy has a weight ratio of Cu:Mg of about 4:1 to about 1:1. In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy has a weight ratio of Cu:Mg of about 4:1 to about 2:1.
  • aluminum alloys with these compositions were found to have high yield strength and high ductility compared to available aluminum alloys. As mentioned below, the aluminum alloys are described herein by the weight percent (wt %) of the total elements and particles within the alloy, as well as specific properties of the alloys. It will be understood that the remaining composition of any alloy described herein is aluminum and incidental impurities.
  • FIG. 1 is a chart showing bend angles and yield strengths numerous commercial high pressure die cast (HPDC) alloys.
  • the target alloy mechanical requirements in FIG. 1 are shown to be greater than 135 MPa yield strength and greater than 24 degree bend angle.
  • FIG. 1 demonstrates that the commercial alloys either require heat treatment to meet the necessary mechanical requirements, or do not meet the necessary requirements.
  • embodiments of the disclosure relate to casting aluminum alloys with both high yield strength and high ductility, without the need for post-casting heat treatment.
  • the aluminum alloys were found to have high yield strength and high ductility compared to conventional, commercially available aluminum alloys.
  • the aluminum alloys are described herein by the weight percent (wt %) of the total elements and particles within the alloy, as well as specific properties of the alloys. It will be understood that the remaining composition of any alloy described herein is aluminum and incidental impurities.
  • the impurities may be present in the starting materials or introduced in one of the processing and/or manufacturing steps to create the aluminum alloy.
  • Incidental impurities are compounds and/or elements that do not or do not substantially affect the material properties of the composition, such as yield strength, ductility and eliminating the need for heat treatment.
  • the total incidental impurities are, are about, are at most, or are at most about, 1 wt. %, 0.5 wt %, 0.2 wt. % 0.1 wt. %, 0.05 wt. % or 0.01 wt. %, or any range of values therebetween. in embodiments, the total incidental impurities are, are about, are at most, or are at most about, 1 wt.
  • each elemental incidental impurity is, is about, is at most, or is at most 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.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises Si in the range of, or of about, 6.5-7.5 wt %, Cu in the range of, or of about, 0.4-0.8 wt %, Mn in the range of, or of about, 0.3-0.7 wt %, Mg in the range of, or of about, 0.2-0.4 wt %, Fe of at most, or of at most about, 0.4 wt %, V in the range of, or of about, 0.05-0.15 wt %, Sr in the range of, or of about, 0.01-0.03 wt %, Ti of at most, or of at most about, 0.15 wt %, Cr of at most, or of at most about, 0.03 wt %, with the remaining composition (by wt %) being Al and incidental impurities, wherein the maximum incidental impurities total 0.15 or 0.1 wt %.
  • each elemental incidental impurity is, is about, is at most,
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises Si in the range of, or of about, 6.5-11 wt %, Cu in the range of, or of about, 0.3-0.8 wt %, Mn in the range of, or of about, 0.3-0.8 wt %, Mg in the range of, or of about, 0.1-0.4 wt %, Fe of at most, or of at most about, 0.5 wt %, V in the range of, or of about, 0.05-0.15 wt %, Sr in the range of, or of about, 0.01-0.05 wt %, Ti of at most, or of at most about, 0.15 wt %, Cr of at most, or of at most about, 0.03 wt %, with the remaining composition (by wt %) being Al and incidental impurities, wherein the maximum incidental impurities total 0.15 or 0.1 wt %.
  • each elemental incidental impurity is, is about, is at most, or is
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises silicon (Si) in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most about, 15 wt. %, 13 wt. %, 12 wt. %, 11 wt. %, 10 wt. %, 9 wt. %. 8 wt. %, 7 wt. %, 6 wt. %, 5 wt. % or 3 wt. %, or any range of values therebetween.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises copper (Cu) in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most about, 1 wt. %, 0.9 wt. %, 0.8 wt.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises manganese (Mn) in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most about, 0.6 wt. %, 0.5 wt. %, 0.45 wt. %, 0.4 wt. %, 035 wt. %, 0.3 wt. %, 0.75 wt. %, 0.2 wt. %, 0.15 wt.
  • Mn manganese
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises iron (Fe) in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most 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 0.01 wt. %, or any range of values therebetween.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises vanadium (V) in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most 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 wt. % or 0.05 wt. %, or any range of values therebetween.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises strontium (Sr) in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most about, 0.1 wt.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises titanium (Ti) in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most about, 0.3 wt. %, 0.2 wt. %, 0.15 wt.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises chromium (Cr) in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most about, 0.1 wt. %, 0.07 wt. %, 0.05 wt.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises each elemental incidental impurity in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most 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.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises each elemental incidental impurity in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most 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.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises a maximum incidental impurities total in an amount of, of about, of at most, or of at most 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. %, 0.02 wt. %, 0.01 wt. % or 0.005 wt. %, or any range of values therebetween.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises a weight ratio of Cu:Mg in an amount of, or of about, 4:1, 3.5:1, 3:1, 2.5:1, 2:1, 1.5:1 or 1:1, or any range of values therebetween.
  • the ⁇ -Al volume fraction of an alloy is, is about, is at least, or is at least about, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99%, or any range of values therebetween.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises Mg 2 Si phases in, in about in less than, or less than 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. %, 025 wt. %, 0.2 wt. %, 0.15 wt. %), 0.1 wt. %, 0.05 wt. %, 0.04 wt.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises Al 2 Cu phases in, in about, in less than, or less than 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. %, 0.008 wt. %, 0.005 wt. % or 0.001 wt. %, or any range of values therebetween.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises AlCuMgSi phases in, in about, in at least, or in 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.
  • the aluminum alloy composition comprises AlFeSi phases in, in about, in less than, less than about, in at least, or in 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 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.
  • the yield strength of the aluminum alloys described herein are at least or at least about 120 MPa.
  • the yield strength is, is about, is at least, or is at least about, 120 MPa, 125 NIPa, 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.
  • the yield strength is, or is about, 120 MPa, 125 MPa, 130 MPa, 135 MPa, 140 MPa, 115 MPa, 150 MPa, 155 MPa, 160 MPa, 165 MPa, 170 MPa, 180 MPa or 200 MPa, or any range of values therebetween.
  • the ductility of metal alloy should also be considered such that the parts are reproducibly manufacturable by using a casting process.
  • Ductility of an alloy may be measured by the bend angle and/or the elongation of the alloy, although bend angle is preferred.
  • FIG. 3 A is a plot of bend angles and ⁇ -aluminum volume fractions for alloys
  • FIG. 3 B is a plot of bend angles and magnesiumlnickel content for alloys of some embodiments.
  • bend angle of an alloy is, is about, is at least, or is at least about, 15°, 20°, 23°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, or 50°, or any range of values therebetween. In some embodiments, bend angle is, or is about, 15°, 20°, 23°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 50° or 60°, or any range of values therebetween. In some embodiments, the bend angle is measured at a 3 mm section thickness. In some embodiments, the bend angle is measured using the VDA238-1.00 evaluation standards. In some embodiments,
  • the as-cast aluminum alloy In addition to sufficient yield strength and ductility when cast, the as-cast aluminum alloy must provide sufficient flowability and resistance to hot tearing and shrinkage cracking when high pressure die cast (HPDC). Unless specified otherwise, flow lengths described herein are under HPLC conditions. In a metal casting process, the metal alloy must have sufficient flowability to flow into and fill all intricacies of the mold. In molds with narrow and/or long mold channels, a sufficiently high flowability of the alloy is required to fill the mold.
  • FIG. 4 is a bar chart showing the predicted and tested normalized flow lengths under HPDC conditions of alloys of some embodiments.
  • Hot tearing and shrinkage cracking are common and catastrophic defects observed when casting alloys, including aluminum alloys. Without being able to prevent hot tearing in alloy, reliable and reproducible parts cannot be created. Hot tearing is the formation of an irreversible crack while the cast part is still in the semisolid casting. Although hot tearing is often associated with the casting process itself—linked to the creation of thermal stresses during the shrinkage of the melt flow during solidification, the underlying thermodynamics and microstructure of the alloy plays a part.
  • the alloy has a casting flow length under HPDC conditions of, of about, of at least, or of at least about, 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.
  • the alloy does not, or does not substantially, develop hot tears and/or shrinkage cracks throughout the casting flow length.
  • the as-cast alloys are resistant to corrosion and/or oxidation.
  • the alloy has an oxygen reduction factor (ORF) with respect to A380 kinetics of, of about, of at most, or of at most about, 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.
  • ORF oxygen reduction factor
  • a melt for an 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 alloys may go through cooling at various rates.
  • the processing conditions can create larger or smaller grain sizes, increase or decrease the size and number of precipitates, and help minimize as-cast segregation.
  • 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 through heat treatment, and maintains the yield strength and ductility as mentioned above. In other embodiments, the as-cast aluminum alloy is further processed. In some embodiments, further processing methods include heat treating, aging, solution treating and surface finishing.
  • the after the aluminum-alloy melt has been formed it may be cast into a die to form a high-performance product or part.
  • product can be part of an automobile, such as parts of chassis and/or other crash components.
  • Predictive models were performed to calculate yield strengths and ductility (e.g. bend angle) of aluminum alloy cast without further heat treatment processing.
  • a number of predictive aluminum alloy compositions were created and experimentally tested for their as-cast yield strengths and ductility without heat treatment, including compositions 3C1, 3C3a, 3C3b, 3C4, 3C5, 3C6, 3C7, 3C8, 3C9 and 3C10.
  • the results of these experimental tests are shown in FIG. 5 , which is a plot showing bend angles and yield strengths of 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, with the remainder of the compositions being aluminum, are shown below in Table 1.
  • the as-cast aluminum alloy composition of 3C10 was found to have a yield strength of about 143 MPa and a bend angle of about 25°, and the composition of aluminum alloy 3C10 that falls within Alloys 1, 2 and 3 shown below in Table 2.
  • silicon content is relatively high, at about 8-12 wt. % in order to have sufficient flowability when cast. This is because the relative increase of heat of fusion attributed to silicon content allows an increase in latent heat contribution such that heat may be retained within the alloy system When cast, and therefore the ahoy may retain its liquid phase for enough time to achieve sufficient casting lengths.
  • silicon concentrations are necessary for flowability when the alloy is cast in HPDC condition.
  • FIG. 6 A is a bar chart showing experimental results of flow lengths and silicon content for alloys of some embodiments under HPDC conditions through a 3 mm section thickness. Castings were made using an about 700 ton high pressure die casting machine and a die designed to maintain even flow front for a 3 mm thick casting up to 2 m in length. The various alloys were tested with the same casting conditions and the castings flow length was quantified.
  • FIG. 6 A shows that an alloy composition with 7.5 wt. % silicon had a flow length of about 1.4 meters, an alloy composition with 8.5 wt. % silicon had a flow length of about 1.45 meters, and an alloy composition with 9.5 wt. % silicon had a flow length of about 1.45 meters.
  • silicon ranges for the alloy composition should be maintained over 6 wt. % to achieve advantageous flow lengths, but could be less than 11 wt. % (e.g. 8 wt. % or 7.5 wt. %) to minimize eutectic silicon phase's effect on reducing ductility.
  • FIG. 6 B is a line graph showing calculated results demonstrating the relationship between bend angle and FCC (i.e. aluminum matrix) mole fraction as a function of silicon content for alloys of some embodiments. Whereas FCC of aluminum is the most ductile phase present in the alloy composition, the silicon eutectic phase is a relatively more brittle phase. FIG. 6 B demonstrates such a relationship between aluminum and silicon, where increasing silicon content of the alloy results in a reduction in the FCC mole fraction and bend angle.
  • FCC i.e. aluminum matrix
  • FIG. 7 is a predictive model chart showing yield strengths at Cu:Mg ratios of 3:1 at various magnesium and silicon weight percentages for alloys of some embodiments.
  • increases in copper, magnesium and/or silicon are calculated to increase yield strengths of the alloy in part through the formation of strengthening precipitates (e.g. Mg 2 Si, Al 2 Cu and AlCuMgSi)
  • strengthening precipitates e.g. Mg 2 Si, Al 2 Cu and AlCuMgSi
  • FIG. 7 demonstrates that alloys within the silicon compositional ranges of Alloys 1, 2 or 3 of Table 2 and a Cu:Mg ratio of about 3:1 (e.g. 2:1 to 4:1) carefully balances yield strength and ductility.
  • Such a Cu:Mg ratio selection unexpectedly and advantageously promotes the formation of the AleuMgSi precipitate, which improves the alloys yield strength without substantially hindering ductility relative to other precipitates (e.g. M 2 Si and/or Al 2 Cu).
  • FIG. 8 A is a plot showing experimental results of bend angles for alloys of some embodiments including various magnesium and strontium amounts. As demonstrated, magnesium solute content and Mg 2 Si are both contributors to yield strength, but have negative effects on ductility.
  • FIG. 8 B is a plot showing experimental results of tensile yield strength and bend angles for alloys of some embodiments with varying copper and magnesium weight percentages. As demonstrated, cast 3 mm coupon results matched predictions shown in FIG. 7 of improved yield strengths decreased ductility associated with increased magnesium content.
  • FIGS. 9 A and 9 B are optical micrograph cross-sectional images of a comparative alloy and an alloy of the present disclosure, respectively, wherein indicated phases were located and analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).
  • the comparative alloy of FIG. 9 A includes less than 0.05 wt % vanadium, which is outside of the range of Alloys 1, 2 and 3 of Table 2.
  • feature 902 is a AiFeSi(Mn) phase shown with a plate morphology that was found to include less than 0.2 wt.
  • feature 904 is a AlFeSi(Mn+V) phase with globular morphology more favorable for ductility that was found to include greater than 1.2 wt. % V.
  • increased sharp morphological features e.g. plate morphologies
  • iron impurities increase alloy crack initiation and propagation.
  • the alloy of FIG. 9 B shows a decrease in plate morphologies, and generally shows feature 906 of AlFeSi(Mn+V) phase with globular morphology more favorable for ductility, which was found to include greater than 1.2 wt. % V.
  • vanadium and manganese may be used to reduce iron impurity solubility and stabilize AlFeSi(Mn,V) phases that have a rounded morphology. This allows the alloy to maintain high ductility performance with higher tolerances of Fe.
  • FIG. 10 A is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of an aluminum and silicon alloy with 9.5 wt. % silicon and remainder of aluminum and incidental impurities
  • FIG. 10 B is an optical micrograph cross-sectional image of an aluminum, silicon and strontium alloy with 9.5 wt. % silicon, added strontium and remainder of aluminum and incidental impurities. While FIG. 10 A shows silicon eutectic phases with sharp morphologies known to reduce ductility, the use of a strontium alloy the modifier in FIG. 10 B is shown to blunt the silicon phase growth and create an alloy with more rounded morphologies favorable for ductility.
  • Conditional language such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements, and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

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