Thermo-mechanical processing of high-performance Al-RE alloys
AssigneesIowa State University Research Foundation, Inc., Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorsRyan T. Ott, Orlando Rios, Zachary C. Sims, David Weiss, Michael G. Kesler, Fanqiang Meng, Scott K. McCall, Hunter B. Henderson
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Abstract
Production of a bulk Al-RE alloy body (product) using cast billets/ingots (cooling rates <100 C/s) or rapidly solidified Al-RE particulates (cooling rates 102-106° C./second) that have beneficial microstructural refinements that are further refined by subsequent consolidation to produce a consolidated bulk alloy product having excellent mechanical properties over a wide temperature range such as up to and above 230° C.
Claims9
A method of making a bulk Al-RE alloy body where RE is Ce, La, mischmetal, or any combination thereof, comprising:
- a) solidifying a molten Al-RE alloy where RE=Ce, La, mischmetal, or any combination thereof, wherein the alloy has a composition consisting essentially of Al, RE, and at least one of Mg, Cu, Ni, Mn, and/or Zn to form an as-solidified Al-RE alloy with an Al-rich matrix, and
- b) thermo-mechanical processing the as-solidified Al-RE alloy directly in an as-cast condition in a manner that refines at least a portion of a microstructural feature of the solidified Al-RE alloy, wherein the refined microstructural feature comprises at least one of reduced intermetallic phase size and reduced matrix grain size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.