Beverage can body sheet from continuously cast aluminum alloy
OwnerAli Unal, Gavin F Wyatt-Mair +1inventors
InventorsAli Unal, Gavin F Wyatt-Mair, James Daniel Bryant
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Abstract
A continuous casting method and apparatus are described that generate alpha-phase Al(Fe,Mn)Si intermetallic particles on the surface of an aluminum alloy strip to facilitate the manufacture of beverage cans. The alpha phase particle size is generated so that subsequent rolling will ensure the particles will provide galling-free operation in the ironing stages of the can body making process. The control of alpha-particle size upon the surface layers of the strip ensures galling-free operation.
Claims12
An aluminum alloy sheet product, suitable for the production of cans, made by continuous casting followed by rolling, annealing and cold rolling to final gauge wherein intermetallic particles of alpha phase Al(Fe, Mn)Si of diameters between 0.2 to 35 μm are present on at least one surface of the cast strip such that during the ironing steps of the can making process the product is substantially free of galling defects.
A method of producing an aluminum alloy strip having intermetallic particles of alpha phase Al(Fe, Mn)Si by rapidly heating the strip surface to a temperature near the solidus temperature so as to coarsen the alpha phase Al(Fe, Mn)Si to a median diameter greater than 2 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.