US20240150870A1 - Aluminum alloy and method for producing same - Google Patents
Aluminum alloy and method for producing same Download PDFInfo
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- US20240150870A1 US20240150870A1 US18/498,668 US202318498668A US2024150870A1 US 20240150870 A1 US20240150870 A1 US 20240150870A1 US 202318498668 A US202318498668 A US 202318498668A US 2024150870 A1 US2024150870 A1 US 2024150870A1
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- 229910000838 Al alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims abstract description 108
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 14
- 229910018125 Al-Si Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 83
- 229910018520 Al—Si Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 83
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 50
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 44
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 42
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 claims abstract description 24
- 229910052748 manganese Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- 229910002551 Fe-Mn Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- 229910052749 magnesium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 16
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 239000012535 impurity Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 239000002994 raw material Substances 0.000 claims description 21
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 19
- 238000004453 electron probe microanalysis Methods 0.000 claims description 15
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000013507 mapping Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 238000007711 solidification Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000008023 solidification Effects 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000032683 aging Effects 0.000 abstract description 31
- 238000005266 casting Methods 0.000 abstract description 20
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 38
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 38
- 239000011572 manganese Substances 0.000 description 27
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 25
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 24
- 239000011777 magnesium Substances 0.000 description 23
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 16
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 10
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 10
- 229910019752 Mg2Si Inorganic materials 0.000 description 8
- 238000001636 atomic emission spectroscopy Methods 0.000 description 6
- OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Phosphorus Chemical compound [P] OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- NINIDFKCEFEMDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulfur Chemical compound [S] NINIDFKCEFEMDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- 238000002844 melting Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000008018 melting Effects 0.000 description 5
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 5
- 229910052698 phosphorus Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 239000011574 phosphorus Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000001556 precipitation Methods 0.000 description 5
- 229910052717 sulfur Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 239000011593 sulfur Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000011651 chromium Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000002244 precipitate Substances 0.000 description 4
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- KDLHZDBZIXYQEI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Palladium Chemical compound [Pd] KDLHZDBZIXYQEI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 238000009749 continuous casting Methods 0.000 description 3
- BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N platinum Chemical compound [Pt] BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- VYZAMTAEIAYCRO-UHFFFAOYSA-N Chromium Chemical compound [Cr] VYZAMTAEIAYCRO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- CWYNVVGOOAEACU-UHFFFAOYSA-N Fe2+ Chemical compound [Fe+2] CWYNVVGOOAEACU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- PWHULOQIROXLJO-UHFFFAOYSA-N Manganese Chemical compound [Mn] PWHULOQIROXLJO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910019064 Mg-Si Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910019406 Mg—Si Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 238000005275 alloying Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910052804 chromium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004512 die casting Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005265 energy consumption Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000010955 niobium Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010948 rhodium Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000011669 selenium Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002210 silicon-based material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010936 titanium Substances 0.000 description 2
- ZSLUVFAKFWKJRC-IGMARMGPSA-N 232Th Chemical compound [232Th] ZSLUVFAKFWKJRC-IGMARMGPSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910018464 Al—Mg—Si Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052684 Cerium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052692 Dysprosium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052691 Erbium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052688 Gadolinium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- GYHNNYVSQQEPJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Gallium Chemical compound [Ga] GYHNNYVSQQEPJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052689 Holmium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- WHXSMMKQMYFTQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Lithium Chemical compound [Li] WHXSMMKQMYFTQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052765 Lutetium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- FYYHWMGAXLPEAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N Magnesium Chemical compound [Mg] FYYHWMGAXLPEAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910018643 Mn—Si Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- ZOKXTWBITQBERF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Molybdenum Chemical compound [Mo] ZOKXTWBITQBERF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052779 Neodymium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052777 Praseodymium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052773 Promethium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- KJTLSVCANCCWHF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ruthenium Chemical compound [Ru] KJTLSVCANCCWHF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052772 Samarium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- BUGBHKTXTAQXES-UHFFFAOYSA-N Selenium Chemical compound [Se] BUGBHKTXTAQXES-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silver Chemical compound [Ag] BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910008302 Si—Fe—Mn Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052771 Terbium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052776 Thorium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- ATJFFYVFTNAWJD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Tin Chemical compound [Sn] ATJFFYVFTNAWJD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Titanium Chemical compound [Ti] RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000007545 Vickers hardness test Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000654 additive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000996 additive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004458 analytical method Methods 0.000 description 1
- -1 and castings (e.g. Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052787 antimony Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- WATWJIUSRGPENY-UHFFFAOYSA-N antimony atom Chemical compound [Sb] WATWJIUSRGPENY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052785 arsenic Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- RQNWIZPPADIBDY-UHFFFAOYSA-N arsenic atom Chemical compound [As] RQNWIZPPADIBDY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052790 beryllium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- ATBAMAFKBVZNFJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N beryllium atom Chemical compound [Be] ATBAMAFKBVZNFJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052797 bismuth Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- JCXGWMGPZLAOME-UHFFFAOYSA-N bismuth atom Chemical compound [Bi] JCXGWMGPZLAOME-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052793 cadmium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- BDOSMKKIYDKNTQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N cadmium atom Chemical compound [Cd] BDOSMKKIYDKNTQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- GWXLDORMOJMVQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N cerium Chemical compound [Ce] GWXLDORMOJMVQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910017052 cobalt Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010941 cobalt Substances 0.000 description 1
- GUTLYIVDDKVIGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N cobalt atom Chemical compound [Co] GUTLYIVDDKVIGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000001938 differential scanning calorimetry curve Methods 0.000 description 1
- KBQHZAAAGSGFKK-UHFFFAOYSA-N dysprosium atom Chemical compound [Dy] KBQHZAAAGSGFKK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- UYAHIZSMUZPPFV-UHFFFAOYSA-N erbium Chemical compound [Er] UYAHIZSMUZPPFV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 1
- UIWYJDYFSGRHKR-UHFFFAOYSA-N gadolinium atom Chemical compound [Gd] UIWYJDYFSGRHKR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052733 gallium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052732 germanium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- GNPVGFCGXDBREM-UHFFFAOYSA-N germanium atom Chemical compound [Ge] GNPVGFCGXDBREM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052735 hafnium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- VBJZVLUMGGDVMO-UHFFFAOYSA-N hafnium atom Chemical compound [Hf] VBJZVLUMGGDVMO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000007542 hardness measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- KJZYNXUDTRRSPN-UHFFFAOYSA-N holmium atom Chemical compound [Ho] KJZYNXUDTRRSPN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052738 indium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- APFVFJFRJDLVQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N indium atom Chemical compound [In] APFVFJFRJDLVQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052741 iridium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- GKOZUEZYRPOHIO-UHFFFAOYSA-N iridium atom Chemical compound [Ir] GKOZUEZYRPOHIO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000003562 lightweight material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007791 liquid phase Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052744 lithium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- OHSVLFRHMCKCQY-UHFFFAOYSA-N lutetium atom Chemical compound [Lu] OHSVLFRHMCKCQY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000000155 melt Substances 0.000 description 1
- QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N mercury Chemical compound [Hg] QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052753 mercury Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052750 molybdenum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000011733 molybdenum Substances 0.000 description 1
- QEFYFXOXNSNQGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N neodymium atom Chemical compound [Nd] QEFYFXOXNSNQGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052758 niobium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- GUCVJGMIXFAOAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N niobium atom Chemical compound [Nb] GUCVJGMIXFAOAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052763 palladium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052697 platinum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 1
- PUDIUYLPXJFUGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N praseodymium atom Chemical compound [Pr] PUDIUYLPXJFUGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- VQMWBBYLQSCNPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N promethium atom Chemical compound [Pm] VQMWBBYLQSCNPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052702 rhenium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- WUAPFZMCVAUBPE-UHFFFAOYSA-N rhenium atom Chemical compound [Re] WUAPFZMCVAUBPE-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052703 rhodium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- MHOVAHRLVXNVSD-UHFFFAOYSA-N rhodium atom Chemical compound [Rh] MHOVAHRLVXNVSD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052707 ruthenium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- KZUNJOHGWZRPMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N samarium atom Chemical compound [Sm] KZUNJOHGWZRPMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000004576 sand Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052706 scandium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- SIXSYDAISGFNSX-UHFFFAOYSA-N scandium atom Chemical compound [Sc] SIXSYDAISGFNSX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- VSZWPYCFIRKVQL-UHFFFAOYSA-N selanylidenegallium;selenium Chemical compound [Se].[Se]=[Ga].[Se]=[Ga] VSZWPYCFIRKVQL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052711 selenium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052712 strontium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- CIOAGBVUUVVLOB-UHFFFAOYSA-N strontium atom Chemical compound [Sr] CIOAGBVUUVVLOB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001629 suppression Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052715 tantalum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- GUVRBAGPIYLISA-UHFFFAOYSA-N tantalum atom Chemical compound [Ta] GUVRBAGPIYLISA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- JBQYATWDVHIOAR-UHFFFAOYSA-N tellanylidenegermanium Chemical compound [Te]=[Ge] JBQYATWDVHIOAR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052714 tellurium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- PORWMNRCUJJQNO-UHFFFAOYSA-N tellurium atom Chemical compound [Te] PORWMNRCUJJQNO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- GZCRRIHWUXGPOV-UHFFFAOYSA-N terbium atom Chemical compound [Tb] GZCRRIHWUXGPOV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052719 titanium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000011282 treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- WFKWXMTUELFFGS-UHFFFAOYSA-N tungsten Chemical compound [W] WFKWXMTUELFFGS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052721 tungsten Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010937 tungsten Substances 0.000 description 1
- LEONUFNNVUYDNQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N vanadium atom Chemical compound [V] LEONUFNNVUYDNQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052727 yttrium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- VWQVUPCCIRVNHF-UHFFFAOYSA-N yttrium atom Chemical compound [Y] VWQVUPCCIRVNHF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000011701 zinc Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22C—ALLOYS
- C22C21/00—Alloys based on aluminium
- C22C21/02—Alloys based on aluminium with silicon as the next major constituent
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22C—ALLOYS
- C22C1/00—Making non-ferrous alloys
- C22C1/02—Making non-ferrous alloys by melting
- C22C1/026—Alloys based on aluminium
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to an aluminum alloy and a method for producing the same.
- JP 2010-18875 A a high strength aluminum alloy with excellent castability and workability comprising 3.5 mass percent (mass % or % by mass) to 7.5 mass % of silicon (Si), 0.45 mass % to 0.8 mass % of magnesium (Mg), 0.05 mass % to 0.35 mass % of chromium (Cr) and the remainder consisting of aluminum (Al) and unavoidable impurities when the total is 100 mass % is disclosed.
- an aluminum alloy sheet consisting of an Al—Mg—Si-based aluminum alloy, in which, in a differential scanning calorimetry curve with a temperature increase rate of 20° C./minute, an endothermic peak with the height “a” of 1.0 to 5.0 mW/g in the temperature range of 150 to 230° C. and two or more exothermic peaks in the temperature range of 230 to 270° C. are observed, and a ratio “b 1 /b 2 ” of the peak height “b 1 ” of the low-temperature side to the peak height “b 2 ” of the high-temperature side in the exothermic peaks is 0.80 or less, is disclosed.
- the aforementioned heat treatment processes can cause deformation of the parts due to heat treatment distortion, and can lead to high costs and high CO 2 emissions due to thermal energy consumption.
- the present disclosure provides an aluminum alloy in which natural aging is suppressed. Furthermore, the present disclosure provides a method for producing an aluminum alloy that can produce an aluminum alloy having sufficient hardness without heat treatment processes after casting.
- the inventors have examined various means to solve the aforementioned problems. As a result, the inventors have developed a new method for producing an aluminum alloy material containing Si, Mg, manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). In the method of producing the aluminum alloy material containing Si, Mg, manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe), the inventors found that by controlling a cooling process of a molten alloy during casting, natural aging can be suppressed and an aluminum alloy with sufficient hardness can be produced, thus completing the present disclosure.
- Al—Si—Fe—Mn-based compounds are preferentially precipitated, and the precipitation of Mg—Si-based compounds, which had been precipitated conventionally, is reduced.
- the gist of the present disclosure is as follows.
- the cooling process of (iv) includes a solidification holding process in which the molten alloy is held in a temperature range of 510° C. to 470° C. for 20 minutes to 40 minutes when a temperature of the molten alloy reaches the said temperature range.
- the present disclosure provides the aluminum alloy in which natural aging is suppressed. Furthermore, the present disclosure provides the method for producing the aluminum alloy that can produce the aluminum alloy with sufficient hardness without the heat treatment processes after casting.
- FIG. 1 shows Vickers hardness after casting and Vickers hardness after forced aging of Al—Si-based aluminum alloys of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1 and 2.
- FIG. 2 shows EPMA mapping (80 ⁇ m ⁇ 80 ⁇ m) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Example 1.
- FIG. 3 shows EPMA mapping (80 ⁇ m ⁇ 80 ⁇ m) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Comparative Example 1.
- the present disclosure relates to an Al—Si-based aluminum alloy comprising Si, Mg, Mn, Fe and unavoidable impurities, which comprises Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds.
- the Si content is not limited.
- the Si content, as a metal is generally 0.1 mass % to 15 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the Si content, as a metal is 4 mass % to 12 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the Si content can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- the Mg content is not limited.
- the Mg content, as a metal is generally 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In one embodiment, the Mg content, as a metal, is 0.1 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the Mg content can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- the Mn content is not limited.
- the Mn content, as a metal is usually 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In one embodiment, the Mn content, as a metal, is 0.1 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the Mn content can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- the Fe content is not limited.
- the Fe content, as a metal is generally 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In one embodiment, the Fe content, as a metal, is 0.1 mass % to 1 mass %, based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the Fe content can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- the Al—Si aluminum alloy of the present disclosure can further comprise other alloying elements for modifying, such as one or more metals (other metals) selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), zirconium (Zr), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), lithium (Li), silver (Ag), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), scandium (Sc), strontium (Sr), indium (In), vanadium (V), praseodymium (Pr), samarium (Sm), tantalum (Ta), gold (Au), Beryllium (Be), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), yttrium (Y), niobium (Nb), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), antimony (
- the content of each of the other metals is not limited.
- the content of each of the other metals, as a metal, based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is usually 0.0001 mass % to 0.1 mass %.
- the content of each of the other metals, as a metal, based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is 0.001 mass % to 0.05 mass %.
- the content of all other metals, as metals, is usually 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the content of all other metals, as metals is 0.03 mass % to 0.1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In the other embodiment, the content of all other metals, as metals, is 0.04 mass % to 0.06 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the respective contents of the other metals can be measured by methods known in the art although they vary depending on the alloying element. The respective contents of the other metals can be measured, for example, by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- the remainder of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy consists of aluminum (Al) and unavoidable impurities.
- the unavoidable impurities include phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S).
- the content of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) is not limited.
- the content of each of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) is usually 0.01 mass % or less based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the respective contents of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) can be measured by methods known in the art although they vary depending on the element to be measured. For example, the respective contents of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds can be identified by EPMA mapping of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy.
- the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds have the following characteristics (i) and (ii).
- the said intensity indicates the percentage (%) of the K- ⁇ line from Mg at a certain position in the field of 80 ⁇ m ⁇ 80 ⁇ m when the entire K- ⁇ line from Mg in the field of 80 ⁇ m ⁇ 80 ⁇ m is 100%.
- the shape of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds is not limited.
- the shape of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds can be spherical, polygonal, or lumpy, for example.
- the average particle size of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds is not limited.
- the average particle size of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds is usually 30 nm to 300 nm as the average of the circular equivalent diameters of 100 particles in a TEM photograph.
- the average particle size of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds is 50 nm to 100 nm as the average of the circular equivalent diameters of 100 particles in a TEM photograph.
- the Vickers hardness of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is not limited.
- the Vickers hardness of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is usually 40 HV to 100 HV, and in one embodiment, 50 HV to 60 HV.
- the Vickers hardness after forced aging of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is not limited.
- the Vickers hardness after forced aging (210° C. ⁇ 90 min) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is usually 50 HV to 120 HV, and in one embodiment, 50 HV to 60 HV.
- the change in the Vickers hardness before and after forced aging is usually 4% or less, and in one embodiment, 2% or less, as ⁇
- the Vickers hardness of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure can be measured by the Vickers hardness test.
- the natural aging is suppressed. Furthermore, the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure do not require various heat treatments after casting.
- the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is an Al—Si-based aluminum cast alloy.
- the cast alloy refers to a molding produced by casting. Therefore, the cast alloy includes a molding produced by low-pressure casting, gravity casting, die casting, etc.
- the aluminum alloy in the present disclosure can be used as lightweight materials, such as automobile body parts, which can replace ferrous materials, by being formed by casting.
- the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure can be produced by the processes (i) through (iv) described in detail below.
- the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy are not limited.
- the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy include pure metals, compounds, and alloys of various metals. Aluminum ingots and aluminum scraps can be used as raw materials for aluminum.
- the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy include those in the state of powders, molten metals, and castings (e.g., aluminum alloy ingots). Basically, metals with high melting points can be added as mother alloys with other additive elements, while metals with low melting points can be added as pure metals.
- composition of the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is adjusted so that the contents of various metals in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained after production are within the range described above. Therefore, the composition of the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is the same as the composition of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, unless materials which volatilize during production are used as the raw materials.
- the molten alloy can be prepared, for example, by heating the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy in a melting furnace, for example, an arc melting furnace, to a temperature where the liquid phase occurs, typically 680° C. to 1200° C., and in one embodiment 1000° C. to 1200° C.
- a melting furnace for example, an arc melting furnace
- the order of addition, the method of addition, the temperature of addition, the time of addition, and the mixing method thereof are not limited.
- the molten alloy is prepared so that the respective metals are uniform.
- various metals are added to molten aluminum prepared by heating aluminum to 680° C., and the temperature of the molten alloy is then increased to the temperature at which the alloy system melts, e.g., 1000° C., to prepare a molten alloy.
- the mold is not limited. Any mold known in the art can be used as a mold.
- the molten alloy is solidified by cooling.
- the process of (iv) includes a solidification holding process. In the course of the solidification in the solidification holding process, when the temperature of the molten alloy reaches 510° C. to 470° C., and in one embodiment 500° C. to 480° C., at which the solidification starts, the temperature of the molten alloy is maintained in this temperature range for 20 minutes to 40 minutes, and in one embodiment for 30 minutes.
- the cooling rate of the molten alloy is not limited.
- the cooling rate of the molten alloy is usually 50° C./second to 200° C./second and in one embodiment, 80° C./second to 120° C./second.
- the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds are preferentially precipitated in the molten alloy, while the precipitation of Mg 2 Si is suppressed. Since Mg 2 Si can cause natural aging, the natural aging in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained after the process of (iv) is suppressed as a result of the suppression of Mg 2 Si precipitation. Therefore, in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained by the method for producing of the present disclosure, the hardness change due to aging can be suppressed.
- the method for producing the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy may be any casting known in the art, except for the solidification holding process in the cooling process of (iv).
- Casting is the process of pouring a molten metal (including a molten alloy) at high temperature into a cavity in a mold made of sand or metal and cooling the molten metal to solidify it.
- Casting includes, for example, the usual melting and casting methods such as continuous casting, continuous casting rolling, semi-continuous casting (DC casting), hot top casting, or die casting.
- melting and casting methods such as continuous casting, continuous casting rolling, semi-continuous casting (DC casting), hot top casting, or die casting.
- the conventional Al—Si-based aluminum alloy (Comparative Example 3) was produced by the processes (i) through (v) above, except that the cooling processes of (iv) and (v) were changed as follows: “The molten alloy poured in the pouring process of (iii) is cooled to 400° C. and the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy was removed from the mold, and then air-cooled to 25° C.”
- the Vickers hardness was again measured for each Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained after the forced aging. The results are shown in Table 2 and FIG. 1 .
- Table 2 and FIG. 1 show that in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloys that were held at 510° C. to 470° C., and especially 500° C. to 480° C., for 20 min to 40 min, and especially for 30 min during the cooling process, the change in Vickers hardness before and after forced aging was suppressed. Therefore, the Al—Si-based aluminum alloys produced in this way were found to have suppressed natural aging.
- Example 1 The Al—Si-based aluminum alloys of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were analyzed by EPMA.
- FIG. 2 shows the EPMA mapping (80 ⁇ m ⁇ 80 ⁇ m) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Example 1.
- FIG. 3 shows the EPMA mapping (80 ⁇ m ⁇ 80 ⁇ m) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Comparative Example 1.
- FIG. 2 shows that in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Example 1, the positions of the respective K- ⁇ line peaks from Si, Mg, Mn, and Fe are almost coincident, indicating that Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds are precipitated in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Example 1.
- the EPMA mapping of Mg, Mn, and Fe showed that in the field of 80 ⁇ m ⁇ 80 ⁇ m, the positions with a 50% or more intensity of K- ⁇ from Mg, the positions with a 10% or more intensity, especially 10% to 20% intensity of K- ⁇ from Mn, and the positions with a 5% or more intensity, especially 5% to 14% intensity of K- ⁇ from Fe were at the same location.
- the EPMA mapping of Mn and Fe also shows that in the field of 80 ⁇ m ⁇ 80 ⁇ m, the positions with a 50% or more intensity, especially a 80% or more intensity of K- ⁇ from Mn and the positions with a 25% or more intensity, especially 44% or more intensity of K- ⁇ from Fe were at the same location.
- FIG. 3 shows that in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Comparative Example 1, the positions of the respective K- ⁇ line peaks from Si, Mg, Mn, and Fe are not coincident, indicating that both Fe—Mn—Si-based compounds and Mg 2 Si compounds are precipitated.
- Mg 2 Si compounds stably increase hardness by heat treatment (aging treatment) and provide the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy with suppressed natural aging, and also impart the hardness required for the aluminum alloy properties.
- the precipitates are Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds, and, in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure, the precipitation of Mg 2 Si compounds is suppressed under an environment of 200° C. or lower. Therefore, natural aging, i.e., hardness increase due to Mg 2 Si compounds does not occur.
- the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure does not require additional heat treatments, such as solution heat treatment and/or aging heat treatment, the influence due to heat treatment distortion can be suppressed, and furthermore, the increase in cost and CO 2 emissions due to thermal energy consumption can be suppressed.
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Abstract
To provide an aluminum alloy in which natural aging is suppressed and a method for producing the same. This disclosure relates to an Al—Si-based aluminum alloy containing Si, Mg, Mn, Fe, and unavoidable impurities and Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds, and further to a method for producing said Al—Si—based aluminum alloy by controlling the cooling process of a molten alloy during casting.
Description
- The present application claims priority from Japanese patent application JP 2022-177936 filed on Nov. 7, 2022, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
- The present disclosure relates to an aluminum alloy and a method for producing the same.
- By reducing the weight of automotive parts, fuel consumption can be improved and power consumption can be reduced. Therefore, consideration is being given to replacing conventionally used ferrous materials with aluminum materials or aluminum alloys.
- For example, in JP 2010-18875 A, a high strength aluminum alloy with excellent castability and workability comprising 3.5 mass percent (mass % or % by mass) to 7.5 mass % of silicon (Si), 0.45 mass % to 0.8 mass % of magnesium (Mg), 0.05 mass % to 0.35 mass % of chromium (Cr) and the remainder consisting of aluminum (Al) and unavoidable impurities when the total is 100 mass % is disclosed.
- In JP 2017-14541 A, an aluminum alloy sheet consisting of an Al—Mg—Si-based aluminum alloy, in which, in a differential scanning calorimetry curve with a temperature increase rate of 20° C./minute, an endothermic peak with the height “a” of 1.0 to 5.0 mW/g in the temperature range of 150 to 230° C. and two or more exothermic peaks in the temperature range of 230 to 270° C. are observed, and a ratio “b1/b2” of the peak height “b1” of the low-temperature side to the peak height “b2” of the high-temperature side in the exothermic peaks is 0.80 or less, is disclosed.
- In the conventional technology, additional solution heat treatment and/or aging heat treatment is applied to the aluminum alloy after casting. The heat treatments result in the precipitation of Mg—Si-based precipitates in the aluminum alloy. The precipitates provide the hardness required for the parts and suppress natural aging. Therefore, in the conventional technology, the precipitates increase the hardness of the aluminum alloy to achieve high strength.
- On the other hand, the aforementioned heat treatment processes can cause deformation of the parts due to heat treatment distortion, and can lead to high costs and high CO2 emissions due to thermal energy consumption.
- Therefore, the present disclosure provides an aluminum alloy in which natural aging is suppressed. Furthermore, the present disclosure provides a method for producing an aluminum alloy that can produce an aluminum alloy having sufficient hardness without heat treatment processes after casting.
- The inventors have examined various means to solve the aforementioned problems. As a result, the inventors have developed a new method for producing an aluminum alloy material containing Si, Mg, manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). In the method of producing the aluminum alloy material containing Si, Mg, manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe), the inventors found that by controlling a cooling process of a molten alloy during casting, natural aging can be suppressed and an aluminum alloy with sufficient hardness can be produced, thus completing the present disclosure. In the aluminum alloy of the present disclosure, by controlling the cooling process of the molten alloy during casting, Al—Si—Fe—Mn-based compounds are preferentially precipitated, and the precipitation of Mg—Si-based compounds, which had been precipitated conventionally, is reduced.
- In other words, the gist of the present disclosure is as follows.
-
- (1) An Al—Si-based aluminum alloy containing Si, Mg, Mn, Fe and unavoidable impurities is disclosed. The Al—Si-based aluminum alloy contains Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds.
- (2) In the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy described in (1), when the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is observed by EPMA mapping with a field of 80 μm×80 μm, in the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds, positions with a 50% or more intensity of K-α from Mg, positions with a 10% to 20% intensity of K-α from Mn, and positions with a 5% to 14% intensity of K-α from Fe are at a same location with respect to Mg, Mn and Fe, and positions with a 80% or more intensity of K-α from Mn and positions with a 44% or more intensity of K-α from Fe are at a same location with respect to Mn and Fe.
- (3) A method for producing an Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is disclosed. The method comprises
- (i) a raw material preparation process of preparing raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy containing Si, Mg, Mn, Fe, and unavoidable impurities;
- (ii) a molten alloy preparation process of heating the raw materials prepared in the raw material preparation process of (i) to prepare a molten alloy;
- (iii) a pouring process of pouring the molten alloy prepared in the molten alloy preparation process of (ii) into a mold; and
- (iv) a cooling process of cooling and solidifying the molten alloy poured in the pouring process of (iii).
- In the method, the cooling process of (iv) includes a solidification holding process in which the molten alloy is held in a temperature range of 510° C. to 470° C. for 20 minutes to 40 minutes when a temperature of the molten alloy reaches the said temperature range.
- The present disclosure provides the aluminum alloy in which natural aging is suppressed. Furthermore, the present disclosure provides the method for producing the aluminum alloy that can produce the aluminum alloy with sufficient hardness without the heat treatment processes after casting.
-
FIG. 1 shows Vickers hardness after casting and Vickers hardness after forced aging of Al—Si-based aluminum alloys of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1 and 2. -
FIG. 2 shows EPMA mapping (80 μm×80 μm) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Example 1. -
FIG. 3 shows EPMA mapping (80 μm×80 μm) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Comparative Example 1. - The following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure.
- In this specification, the features of the present disclosure will be explained with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The aluminum alloy and the method for producing the same of the present disclosure are not limited to the following embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms with modifications and improvements that can be made by those skilled in the art, to the extent not departing from the gist of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the expression “numerical value (lower limit) to numerical value (upper limit)” indicates a range including the lower and upper limits.
- The present disclosure relates to an Al—Si-based aluminum alloy comprising Si, Mg, Mn, Fe and unavoidable impurities, which comprises Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds.
- The Si content is not limited. The Si content, as a metal, is generally 0.1 mass % to 15 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In one embodiment, the Si content, as a metal is 4 mass % to 12 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. Here, the Si content can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- The Mg content is not limited. The Mg content, as a metal, is generally 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In one embodiment, the Mg content, as a metal, is 0.1 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. Here, the Mg content can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- The Mn content is not limited. The Mn content, as a metal, is usually 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In one embodiment, the Mn content, as a metal, is 0.1 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. Here, the Mn content can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- The Fe content is not limited. The Fe content, as a metal, is generally 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In one embodiment, the Fe content, as a metal, is 0.1 mass % to 1 mass %, based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. Here, the Fe content can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- The Al—Si aluminum alloy of the present disclosure can further comprise other alloying elements for modifying, such as one or more metals (other metals) selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), zirconium (Zr), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), lithium (Li), silver (Ag), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), scandium (Sc), strontium (Sr), indium (In), vanadium (V), praseodymium (Pr), samarium (Sm), tantalum (Ta), gold (Au), Beryllium (Be), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), yttrium (Y), niobium (Nb), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), lutetium (Lu), hafnium (Hf), rhenium (Re), iridium (Jr), platinum (Pt), mercury (Hg), bismuth (Bi) and thorium (Th), as appropriate.
- The content of each of the other metals is not limited. The content of each of the other metals, as a metal, based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, is usually 0.0001 mass % to 0.1 mass %. In one embodiment, the content of each of the other metals, as a metal, based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, is 0.001 mass % to 0.05 mass %. The content of all other metals, as metals, is usually 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In one embodiment, the content of all other metals, as metals, is 0.03 mass % to 0.1 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In the other embodiment, the content of all other metals, as metals, is 0.04 mass % to 0.06 mass % based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. The respective contents of the other metals can be measured by methods known in the art although they vary depending on the alloying element. The respective contents of the other metals can be measured, for example, by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- The remainder of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, other than the aforementioned metals, consists of aluminum (Al) and unavoidable impurities.
- The unavoidable impurities include phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S). The content of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) is not limited. The content of each of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) is usually 0.01 mass % or less based on the total mass of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. The respective contents of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) can be measured by methods known in the art although they vary depending on the element to be measured. For example, the respective contents of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) can be measured by ICP optical emission spectrometry.
- In the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure, the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds can be identified by EPMA mapping of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy. In the EPMA mapping of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds have the following characteristics (i) and (ii).
-
- (i) When the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is observed by the EPMA mapping with a field of 80 μm×80 μm, positions with a 50% or more intensity of K-α from Mg, positions with a 10% or more intensity, in one embodiment, a 10% to 20% intensity of K-α from Mn, and positions with a 5% or more intensity, in one embodiment, a 5% to 14% intensity of K-α from Fe are at a same location with respect to Mg, Mn and Fe.
- (ii) When the Al—Si aluminum alloy is observed by the EPMA mapping with a field of 80 μm×80 μm, positions with a 50% or more intensity, in one embodiment, a 80% or more intensity of K-α from Mn, and positions with a 25% or more intensity, in one embodiment, a 44% or more intensity of K-α from Fe are at a same location with respect to Mn and Fe.
- Here, with respect to the intensity (strength) (%) of K-α from various metals at a certain position in the field of 80 μm×80 μm, for example, in the case of Mg, the said intensity indicates the percentage (%) of the K-α line from Mg at a certain position in the field of 80 μm×80 μm when the entire K-α line from Mg in the field of 80 μm×80 μm is 100%.
- The presence of Si in the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy can also be confirmed by EPMA, as with Mg, Mn, and Fe.
- The shape of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds is not limited. The shape of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds can be spherical, polygonal, or lumpy, for example.
- The average particle size of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds is not limited. The average particle size of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds is usually 30 nm to 300 nm as the average of the circular equivalent diameters of 100 particles in a TEM photograph. In one embodiment, the average particle size of the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds is 50 nm to 100 nm as the average of the circular equivalent diameters of 100 particles in a TEM photograph.
- The Vickers hardness of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is not limited. The Vickers hardness of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is usually 40 HV to 100 HV, and in one embodiment, 50 HV to 60 HV.
- The Vickers hardness after forced aging of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is not limited. The Vickers hardness after forced aging (210° C.×90 min) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is usually 50 HV to 120 HV, and in one embodiment, 50 HV to 60 HV.
- In other words, in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure, the change in the Vickers hardness before and after forced aging is usually 4% or less, and in one embodiment, 2% or less, as {|Vickers hardness after forced aging−Vickers hardness before forced aging|/Vickers hardness before forced aging}×100.
- The Vickers hardness of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure can be measured by the Vickers hardness test.
- Therefore, in the Al—Si aluminum alloy of the present disclosure, the natural aging is suppressed. Furthermore, the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure do not require various heat treatments after casting.
- The Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure is an Al—Si-based aluminum cast alloy. The cast alloy refers to a molding produced by casting. Therefore, the cast alloy includes a molding produced by low-pressure casting, gravity casting, die casting, etc.
- The aluminum alloy in the present disclosure can be used as lightweight materials, such as automobile body parts, which can replace ferrous materials, by being formed by casting.
- The Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure can be produced by the processes (i) through (iv) described in detail below.
- In the process of (i), the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy are not limited. The raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy include pure metals, compounds, and alloys of various metals. Aluminum ingots and aluminum scraps can be used as raw materials for aluminum. In addition, the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy include those in the state of powders, molten metals, and castings (e.g., aluminum alloy ingots). Basically, metals with high melting points can be added as mother alloys with other additive elements, while metals with low melting points can be added as pure metals.
- The composition of the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is adjusted so that the contents of various metals in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained after production are within the range described above. Therefore, the composition of the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is the same as the composition of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, unless materials which volatilize during production are used as the raw materials.
- In the process of (ii), the molten alloy can be prepared, for example, by heating the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy in a melting furnace, for example, an arc melting furnace, to a temperature where the liquid phase occurs, typically 680° C. to 1200° C., and in one embodiment 1000° C. to 1200° C.
- In the process of (ii), with respect to aluminum and various metals, which are the raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, the order of addition, the method of addition, the temperature of addition, the time of addition, and the mixing method thereof are not limited. In the process of (ii), the molten alloy is prepared so that the respective metals are uniform.
- For example, in the process of (ii) of the present disclosure, various metals are added to molten aluminum prepared by heating aluminum to 680° C., and the temperature of the molten alloy is then increased to the temperature at which the alloy system melts, e.g., 1000° C., to prepare a molten alloy.
- In the process of (iii), the mold is not limited. Any mold known in the art can be used as a mold.
- In the process of (iv), the molten alloy is solidified by cooling. The process of (iv) includes a solidification holding process. In the course of the solidification in the solidification holding process, when the temperature of the molten alloy reaches 510° C. to 470° C., and in one embodiment 500° C. to 480° C., at which the solidification starts, the temperature of the molten alloy is maintained in this temperature range for 20 minutes to 40 minutes, and in one embodiment for 30 minutes.
- In the process of (iv), the cooling rate of the molten alloy is not limited. For example, the cooling rate of the molten alloy is usually 50° C./second to 200° C./second and in one embodiment, 80° C./second to 120° C./second.
- In the process of (iv), by holding the molten alloy for the specific time in the specific temperature range, the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds are preferentially precipitated in the molten alloy, while the precipitation of Mg2Si is suppressed. Since Mg2Si can cause natural aging, the natural aging in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained after the process of (iv) is suppressed as a result of the suppression of Mg2Si precipitation. Therefore, in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained by the method for producing of the present disclosure, the hardness change due to aging can be suppressed.
- The method for producing the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy may be any casting known in the art, except for the solidification holding process in the cooling process of (iv).
- Casting is the process of pouring a molten metal (including a molten alloy) at high temperature into a cavity in a mold made of sand or metal and cooling the molten metal to solidify it.
- Casting includes, for example, the usual melting and casting methods such as continuous casting, continuous casting rolling, semi-continuous casting (DC casting), hot top casting, or die casting.
- While the following describes some Examples regarding the present disclosure, it is not intended to limit the present disclosure to those described in such Examples.
-
-
- (i) Raw materials for aluminum alloys containing the chemical compositions listed in Table 1 were prepared.
- (ii) The raw materials prepared in the raw material preparation process of (i) were heated to 700° C. to prepare a molten alloy.
- (iii) The molten alloy prepared in the molten alloy preparation process of (ii) was poured into a mold.
- (iv) The molten alloy poured in the pouring process of (iii) was cooled to a temperature of 520° C. (Comparative Example 1), 500° C. (Example 1), 480° C. (Example 2) or 460° C. (Comparative Example 2). Once the temperature of the molten alloy reached each temperature, the temperature thereof was maintained for 30 minutes.
- (v) After the solidification holding process of (iv), the mold was cooled to 250° C., and the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy was removed from the mold, and then air-cooled to 25° C.
- In addition, as a conventional Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, the conventional Al—Si-based aluminum alloy (Comparative Example 3) was produced by the processes (i) through (v) above, except that the cooling processes of (iv) and (v) were changed as follows: “The molten alloy poured in the pouring process of (iii) is cooled to 400° C. and the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy was removed from the mold, and then air-cooled to 25° C.”
-
TABLE 1 Content of various components (mass %) in Examples and Comparative Examples No. Si Mg Fe Mn Cu Sr Zn Sn Ni Ti Al Example 1 9.03 0.27 0.11 0.42 0.01 0.001 0.005 0.01 0.01 0.01 remainder Example 2 9.03 0.27 0.11 0.42 0.01 0.001 0.005 0.01 0.01 0.01 remainder Comparative 9.03 0.27 0.11 0.42 0.01 0.001 0.005 0.01 0.01 0.01 remainder Example 1 Comparative 9.03 0.27 0.11 0.42 0.01 0.001 0.005 0.01 0.01 0.01 remainder Example 2 Comparative 9.18 0.28 0.15 0.35 0.01 0.001 0.004 0.01 0.01 0.01 remainder Example 3 - Vickers hardness was measured for each Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained.
- The presence (natural aging: Yes) or absence (natural aging: No) of natural aging in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy can be confirmed by forced aging. Therefore, each Al—Si-based aluminum alloy for which Vickers hardness was measured was subsequently subjected to heat treatment (forced aging) at 210° C. for 90 minutes.
- The Vickers hardness was again measured for each Al—Si-based aluminum alloy obtained after the forced aging. The results are shown in Table 2 and
FIG. 1 . -
TABLE 2 Vickers Hardness of Examples and Comparative Examples Solidification Natural Hardness Hardness Holding Aging after after forced No. Process No or Yes casting (HV) aging (HV) Example 1 500° C. × 30 min No 55.9 56.5 Example 2 480° C. × 30 min No 55.6 55.4 Comparative 520° C. × 30 min Yes 54.2 56.9 Example 1 Comparative 460° C. × 30 min Yes 56.8 59.9 Example 2 Comparative non-holding Yes 63.5 69.4 Example 3 - Table 2 and
FIG. 1 show that in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloys that were held at 510° C. to 470° C., and especially 500° C. to 480° C., for 20 min to 40 min, and especially for 30 min during the cooling process, the change in Vickers hardness before and after forced aging was suppressed. Therefore, the Al—Si-based aluminum alloys produced in this way were found to have suppressed natural aging. - The Al—Si-based aluminum alloys of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were analyzed by EPMA.
-
FIG. 2 shows the EPMA mapping (80 μm×80 μm) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Example 1.FIG. 3 shows the EPMA mapping (80 μm×80 μm) of the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Comparative Example 1. -
FIG. 2 shows that in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Example 1, the positions of the respective K-α line peaks from Si, Mg, Mn, and Fe are almost coincident, indicating that Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds are precipitated in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Example 1. Specifically, the EPMA mapping of Mg, Mn, and Fe showed that in the field of 80 μm×80 μm, the positions with a 50% or more intensity of K-α from Mg, the positions with a 10% or more intensity, especially 10% to 20% intensity of K-α from Mn, and the positions with a 5% or more intensity, especially 5% to 14% intensity of K-α from Fe were at the same location. Furthermore, the EPMA mapping of Mn and Fe also shows that in the field of 80 μm×80 μm, the positions with a 50% or more intensity, especially a 80% or more intensity of K-α from Mn and the positions with a 25% or more intensity, especially 44% or more intensity of K-α from Fe were at the same location. - On the other hand,
FIG. 3 shows that in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of Comparative Example 1, the positions of the respective K-α line peaks from Si, Mg, Mn, and Fe are not coincident, indicating that both Fe—Mn—Si-based compounds and Mg2Si compounds are precipitated. - Mg2Si compounds stably increase hardness by heat treatment (aging treatment) and provide the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy with suppressed natural aging, and also impart the hardness required for the aluminum alloy properties. In other words, if Mg2Si compounds are present in the aluminum alloy, natural aging will occur and hardness increase will occur without heat treatment. In the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure, the precipitates are Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds, and, in the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure, the precipitation of Mg2Si compounds is suppressed under an environment of 200° C. or lower. Therefore, natural aging, i.e., hardness increase due to Mg2Si compounds does not occur. Consequently, since the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy of the present disclosure does not require additional heat treatments, such as solution heat treatment and/or aging heat treatment, the influence due to heat treatment distortion can be suppressed, and furthermore, the increase in cost and CO2 emissions due to thermal energy consumption can be suppressed.
- All publications, patents and patent applications cited in the present description are herein incorporated by reference as they are.
Claims (3)
1. An Al—Si-based aluminum alloy comprising Si, Mg, Mn, Fe and unavoidable impurities in which the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy comprises Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds.
2. The Al—Si-based aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , in which when the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy is observed by EPMA mapping with a field of 80 μm×80 μm, in the Al—Si—Mg—Fe—Mn-based compounds, positions with a 50% or more intensity of K-α from Mg, positions with a 10% to 20% intensity of K-α from Mn, and positions with a 5% to 14% intensity of K-α from Fe are at a same location with respect to Mg, Mn and Fe, and positions with a 80% or more intensity of K-α from Mn and positions with a 44% or more intensity of K-α from Fe are at a same location with respect to Mn and Fe.
3. A method for producing an Al—Si-based aluminum alloy, comprising
(i) a raw material preparation process of preparing raw materials for the Al—Si-based aluminum alloy comprising Si, Mg, Mn, Fe, and unavoidable impurities;
(ii) a molten alloy preparation process of heating the raw materials prepared in the raw material preparation process of (i) to prepare a molten alloy;
(iii) a pouring process of pouring the molten alloy prepared in the molten alloy preparation process of (ii) into a mold; and
(iv) a cooling process of cooling and solidifying the molten alloy poured in the pouring process of (iii),
in which the cooling process of (iv) includes a solidification holding process in which the molten alloy is held in a temperature range of 510° C. to 470° C. for 20 minutes to 40 minutes when a temperature of the molten alloy reaches the said temperature range.
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