# US 11,999,019 B2 · Aluminum-based welding electrodes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,019 B2 - Document ID: US11999019B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/464,535 - Filed: 2021-09-01 - Published: 2022-03-24 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-22 - Assignees: Lincoln Global, Inc. - Applicants: Lincoln Global, Inc. - Inventors: Vivek Sengupta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999019B2 ## CPC - B23K 35/286: {Al as the principal constituent} - B23K 35/0261: {Rods, electrodes or wires} - C22C 21/00: Alloys based on aluminium - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) ## Abstract The disclosed technology relates generally to welding, and more particularly to consumable electrodes based on aluminum and methods of welding using the same. In one aspect, a consumable welding electrode comprises a base metal composition comprising at least 70% by weight of aluminum and a fluidity-enhancing metal capable of forming a binary eutectic with aluminum, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature of 595-660° C. The fluidity-enhancing metal is present in form and a hypoeutectic concentration of 0.05-0.5 weight % such that a solidification temperature range of a molten weld metal formed by melting the consumable welding electrode is less than 65° C. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A consumable welding electrode, comprising: a base metal composition comprising at least 70% by weight of aluminum; and a second metal capable of forming a binary eutectic with aluminum, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature of 595-660° C., wherein the second metal is present in a form and at a hypoeutectic concentration greater than 0.05 weight % and up to 0.5 weight % such that a solidification temperature range of a molten weld metal formed by melting the consumable welding electrode is less than 65° C. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The consumable welding electrode of claim 1, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature >595 and <630° C. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The consumable welding electrode of claim 2, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of calcium (Ca) and lithium (Li), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The consumable welding electrode of claim 1, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature ≥630 and <645° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The consumable welding electrode of claim 4, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni) and yttrium (Y), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The consumable welding electrode of claim 1, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature ≥645 and ≤660° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The consumable welding electrode of claim 6, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of gold (Au), strontium (Sr), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The consumable welding electrode of claim 1, wherein a weld metal formed from the consumable welding electrode has one or more of the following, relative to a weld metal formed under substantially the same welding conditions using a consumable welding electrode that has the same base metal composition without the second metal: a weld metal height (H) that is lower by at least 5%, a weld metal width (W) that is higher by at least 5%, a H/W ratio that is lower by at least 5%, a penetration (P) that is lower by at least 5%, and a weld toe angle (q) that is lower by at least 5%. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The consumable welding electrode of claim 1, wherein the second metal is present in elemental form or forms a metal alloy with an element of the base metal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The consumable welding electrode of claim 1, wherein the second metal is present in the form of a compound selected from an oxide, a halide, a hydroxide, a sulfide, a sulfate, a carbonate, a phosphate, a nitrite, a nitride, a carbide, a boride, an aluminide, a telluride or a combination thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The consumable welding electrode of claim 10, wherein the second metal is present in the form of an oxide or a hydroxide. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The consumable welding electrode of claim 1, wherein the second metal is present in form and a hypoeutectic concentration such that a molten weld metal formed from the consumable welding electrode has a fluidity that is higher by at least 5% relative to a molten weld metal formed under substantially the same welding conditions using a consumable welding electrode that has the same base metal composition without the second metal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The consumable welding electrode of claim 1, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), europium (Eu), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), ytterbium (Yb), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), lanthanum (La), dysprosium (Dy), samarium (Sm), lutetium (Lu), thulium (Tm), neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 14 A consumable welding electrode, comprising: a base metal composition comprising at least 70% by weight of aluminum; and a second metal capable of forming a binary eutectic with aluminum, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature of 595-660° C., wherein the second metal is present at a hypoeutectic concentration and in the form of a compound selected from an oxide, a halide, a hydroxide, a sulfide, a sulfate, a carbonate, a phosphate, a nitrite, a nitride, a carbide, a boride, an aluminide, a telluride or a combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The consumable welding electrode of claim 14, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), gold (Au), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), yttrium (Y), lithium (Li), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The consumable welding electrode of claim 15, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature >595 and <630° C. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The consumable welding electrode of claim 16, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of calcium (Ca) and lithium (Li), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The consumable welding electrode of claim 15, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature ≥630 and <645° C. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The consumable welding electrode of claim 18, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), yttrium (Y), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The consumable welding electrode of claim 15, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature ≥645 and ≤660° C. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The consumable welding electrode of claim 20, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of gold (Au), strontium (Sr), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The consumable welding electrode of claim 15, wherein the second metal is present in a hypoeutectic concentration of 0.05-0.5 weight % such that a solidification temperature range of a molten weld metal formed by melting the consumable welding electrode is less than 65° C. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The consumable welding electrode of claim 15, wherein the base metal composition further comprises one or both of silicon (Si) and magnesium (Mg) as alloying elements for alloying with aluminum in the weld metal formed using the consumable welding electrode. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The consumable welding electrode of claim 14, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), europium (Eu), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), ytterbium (Yb), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), lanthanum (La), dysprosium (Dy), samarium (Sm), lutetium (Lu), thulium (Tm), neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 25 A consumable welding electrode, comprising: a base metal composition comprising at least 70% by weight of aluminum; and a second metal capable of forming a binary eutectic with aluminum, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature of 595-660° C., wherein the second metal is present in form and at a hypoeutectic concentration such that a molten weld metal formed from the consumable welding electrode has a fluidity that is higher by at least 5% relative to a molten weld metal formed under substantially the same welding conditions using a consumable welding electrode that has the same base metal composition without the second metal. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The consumable welding electrode of claim 25, wherein the hypoeutectic concentration is such that the molten weld metal formed from the consumable welding electrode solidifies into a single phase having the aluminum crystal structure. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The consumable welding electrode of claim 26, wherein the second metal is present in an amount of 0.05-0.50 weight %. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The consumable welding electrode of claim 25, wherein the second metal is present in the form of a compound selected from an oxide, a halide, a hydroxide, a sulfide, a sulfate, a carbonate, a phosphate, a nitrite, a nitride, a carbide, a boride, an aluminide, a telluride or a combination thereof. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The consumable welding electrode of claim 25, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), gold (Au), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), yttrium (Y), lithium (Li), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The consumable welding electrode of claim 29, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature >595 and <630° C. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The consumable welding electrode of claim 30, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of calcium (Ca), lithium (Li) or a combination thereof. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The consumable welding electrode of claim 29, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature ≥630 and <645° C. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The consumable welding electrode of claim 32, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), and yttrium (Y), or a combination thereof. ### Claim 34 (depends on 29) The consumable welding electrode of claim 29, wherein the binary eutectic undergoes a binary eutectic solidification at a eutectic temperature ≥645 and ≤660° C. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The consumable welding electrode of claim 34, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of gold (Au), strontium (Sr), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd) or a combination thereof. ### Claim 36 (depends on 25) The consumable welding electrode of claim 25, wherein the base metal composition further comprises one or both of silicon (Si) and magnesium (Mg) as alloying elements for alloying with aluminum in the weld metal formed using the consumable welding electrode. ### Claim 37 (depends on 25) The consumable welding electrode of claim 25, wherein the consumable welding electrode is a coated electrode comprising a core wire comprising the base metal composition and a coating comprising the second metal surrounding the core wire. ### Claim 38 (depends on 25) The consumable welding electrode of claim 25, wherein the consumable welding electrode is a cored wire comprising a core and a sheath, wherein the core comprises the second metal and the sheath comprises the base metal composition. ### Claim 39 The consumable welding electrode of claim, 25, wherein the consumable welding electrode is solid wire comprising a homogenous mixture of the base metal composition and the second metal. ### Claim 40 (depends on 25) The consumable welding electrode of claim 25, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), europium (Eu), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), ytterbium (Yb), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), lanthanum (La), dysprosium (Dy), samarium (Sm), lutetium (Lu), thulium (Tm), neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), or a combination thereof.