# US 2009/0260724 A1 · Heat treatable L12 aluminum alloys

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- Number: US 2009/0260724 A1
- Document ID: US20090260724A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/148,383
- Filed: 2008-04-18
- Published: 2009-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2008-04-18
- Assignees: United Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Awadh B. Pandey
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260724A1

## CPC

- C22C 1/026: {Alloys based on aluminium}
- B21B 1/46: for rolling metal immediately subsequent to continuous casting (metal-rolling stands B21B13/22; continuous casting B22D11/00, e.g. into moulds with rolls B22D11/06)
- B21C 23/002: {Extruding materials of special alloys so far as the composition of the alloy requires or permits special extruding methods of sequences}
- B21J 5/00: Methods for forging, hammering, or pressing (for working sheet-metal or metal tubes, rods, or profiles B21D; for working wire B21F); Special equipment or accessories therefor
- C22C 21/02: with silicon as the next major constituent
- C22C 21/04: Modified aluminium-silicon alloys
- C22F 1/043: of alloys with silicon as the next major constituent
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- B21B: ROLLING OF METAL (auxiliary operations used in connection with metal-working operations covered in B21, see B21C; bending by rolling B21D; manufacture of particular objects, e.g. screws, wheels, rings, barrels, balls, by rolling B21H; pressure welding by means of a rolling mill B23K20/04)
- B21C: MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES, PROFILES OR LIKE SEMI-MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
- B21J: FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES (rolling of metal B21B; making particular products by forging or pressing B21K; cladding or plating B23K; finishing surfaces by hammering B23P9/04; compacting surfaces by blasting with particulate material B24C1/10; general features of presses, presses for consolidating scrap B30B; furnaces in general F27)
- C22F: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass, C23F17/00)

## Abstract

High temperature heat treatable aluminum alloys that can be used at temperatures from about −420° F. (−251° C.) up to about 650° F. (343° C.) are described. The alloys are strengthened by dispersion of particles based on the L12 intermetallic compound Al3X. These alloys comprise aluminum; silicon; at least one of scandium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium; and at least one of gadolinium, yttrium, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, and niobium. Magnesium and copper are optional alloying elements.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heat treatable aluminum alloy comprising:
about 4.0 to about 25.0 weight percent silicon;
at least one first element selected from the group comprising about 0.1 to about 0.5 weight percent scandium, about 0.1 to about 6.0 weight percent erbium, about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent thulium, about 0.1 to about 15.0 weight percent ytterbium, and about 0.1 to about 12 weight percent lutetium;
at least one second element selected from the group comprising about 0.1 to about 4.0 weight percent gadolinium, about 0.1 to about 4.0 weight percent yttrium, about 0.05 to about 1.0 weight percent zirconium, about 0.05 to about 2.0 weight percent titanium, about 0.05 to about 2.0 weight percent hafnium, and about 0.05 to about 1.0 weight percent niobium; and
the balance substantially aluminum.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises an aluminum solid solution matrix containing a plurality of dispersed Al3X second phases having L12 structures, wherein X includes at least one first element and at least one second element.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1 further comprising about 0.2 to about 3.0 weight percent magnesium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The alloy of claim 3, wherein the alloy comprises from about 0.3 weight percent to about 1.5 weight percent magnesium.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1 further comprising about 0.5 to about 5.0 weight percent copper.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The alloy of claim 5 wherein the alloy comprises about 0.3 to about 1.5 weight percent magnesium and about 1.0 to about 4.0 weight percent copper.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1 further comprising about 0.2 to about 3.0 weight percent magnesium and about 0.5 to about 5.0 weight percent copper.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1 further comprising at least one of about 0.001 to about 0.1 weight percent sodium, about 0.001 to about 0.1 weight percent calcium, about 0.001 to about 0.1 weight percent strontium, about 0.001 to about 0.1 weight percent antimony, about 0.001 to about 0.1 weight percent barium, and about 0.001 to about 0.1 weight percent phosphorus.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1 comprising no more than about 1.0 weight percent total other elements including impurities.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1 comprising no more than about 0.1 weight percent iron, about 0.1 weight percent chromium, about 0.1 weight percent manganese, about 0.1 weight percent vanadium, about 0.1 weight percent cobalt, and about 0.1 weight percent nickel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1, wherein the amount of silicon ranges from about 4.0 to about 18.0 weight percent.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The alloy of claim 11, wherein the amount of silicon ranges from about 5.0 to about 11.0 weight percent.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The alloy of claim 1, which is formed by a process selected from casting, deformation processing, and rapid solidification processing.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The alloy of claim 13, which is heat treated after forming.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The alloy of claim 13, in which the alloy is heat treated by a solution anneal at a temperature of about 800° F. (426° C.) to about 1100° F. (593° C.) for about 30 minutes to four hours, followed by quenching.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The alloy of claim 15, wherein the quenching is in liquid.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The alloy of claim 15, wherein the alloy is aged after quenching.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The alloy of claim 17, wherein the aging is at a temperature of about 200° F. (93° C.) to about 600° F. (315° C.) for about two to forty-eight hours.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The heat treatable aluminum alloy of claim 1, wherein the alloy is capable of being used at temperatures from about −420° F. (−251° C.) up to about 650° F. (343° C.).

### Claim 20

A heat treatable aluminum alloy comprising:
about 4.0 to about 25.0 weight percent silicon; and
an aluminum solid solution matrix containing a plurality of dispersed Al3X second phases having L12 structures where X comprises at least one of scandium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, and at least one of gadolinium, yttrium, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, niobium.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The alloy of claim 20, wherein the alloy comprises at least one of: about 0.2 to about 3.0 weight percent magnesium and about 0.5 to about 5.0 weight percent copper.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The alloy of claim 20, wherein the alloy comprises at least one of: about 0.1 to about 0.5 weight percent scandium, about 0.1 to about 6.0 weight percent erbium, about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent thulium, about 0.1 to about 15.0 weight percent ytterbium, about 0.1 to about 12 weight percent lutetium, and about 0.1 to about 4.0 weight percent gadolinium, about 0.1 to about 4.0 weight percent yttrium, about 0.05 to about 1.0 weight percent zirconium, about 0.05 to about 2.0 weight percent titanium, about 0.05 to about 2.0 weight percent hafnium, and about 0.05 to about 1.0 weight percent niobium.

### Claim 23

A method of forming a heat treatable aluminum alloy, the method comprising:
(a) forming a melt comprising:
about 4.0 to about 25.0 weight percent silicon;
about 0.2 to about 3.0 weight percent magnesium;
about 0.5 to about 5.0 weight percent copper;
at least one first element selected from the group comprising about 0.1 to about 0.5 weight percent scandium, about 0.1 to about 6.0 weight percent erbium, about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent thulium, about 0.1 to about 15.0 weight percent ytterbium, and about 0.1 to about 12 weight percent lutetium;
at least one second element selected from the group comprising about 0.1 to about 4.0 weight percent gadolinium, about 0.1 to about 4.0 weight percent yttrium, about 0.05 to about 1.0 weight percent zirconium, about 0.05 to about 2.0 weight percent titanium, about 0.05 to about 2.0 weight percent hafnium, and about 0.05 to about 1.0 weight percent niobium; and
the balance substantially aluminum;
(b) solidifying the melt to form a solid body; and
(c) heat treating the solid body.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23 further comprising:
refining the structure of the solid body by deformation processing including at least one of: extrusion, forging and rolling.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein solidifying comprises a casting process.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein solidifying comprises a rapid solidification process in which the cooling rate is greater than about 103° C./second including at least one of: powder processing, atomization, melt spinning, splat quenching, spray deposition, cold spray, plasma spray, laser melting and deposition, ball milling, and cryomilling.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the heat treating comprises:
solution heat treatment at about 800° F. (426° C.) to about 1100° F. (593° C.) for about thirty minutes to four hours; and
quenching; and
aging at a temperature of about 200° F. (93° C.) to about 600° F. (315° C.) for about two to forty eight hours.