Method for producing improved aluminum conductor from direct chill cast ingot
AssigneeAluminum Company of America
InventorAsuri K. Vasudevan
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Abstract
Aluminum conductor is made from direct chill cast (DC) ingot with improved conductivity and creep resistance by heating an aluminum-base alloy ingot containing not more than 0.40 wt. % and preferably not more than 0.30 wt. % Fe or a mixture of Mg, Ni or Zr with Fe to a temperature of 400.degree. to 600.degree. C., hot rolling the ingot in this temperature range and then further hot rolling at a reduced temperature range of 175.degree. to 325.degree. C.
Claims11
A method for the production of an aluminum conductor having improved creep resistance from an aluminum-base alloy ingot containing up to 0.40 wt.% of one of the group consisting of Fe, Mg, Ni, Cu, Si and Zr and not more than 0.9 wt.% when more than one of these elements are present and cast by the direct chill casting process which comprises:
- (a) heating the aluminum-base alloy ingot to a temperature of from about 400.degree. to 640.degree. C. and maintaining the ingot at this temperature for from 1/2 to 10 hours;
- (b) hot rolling the ingot at a first temperature of 400.degree. to 600.degree. C.;
- and
- (c) hot rolling the ingot at a second temperature of 175.degree. to 325.degree. C.
A method for producing, from an aluminum-base alloy direct chill cast ingot containing not more than 0.30 wt.% iron, an aluminum conductor characterized by a conductivity of at least 62% of the International Annealed Copper Standard and a 10 year predicted creep strain of less than 1000 microinches per inch comprising:
- (a) heating the ingot to a temperature of at least 400.degree. C. to dissolve a portion of said iron;
- (b) hot rolling the ingot at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C. to precipitate at least a portion of said iron as FeAl.sub.3 ;
- and
- (c) thereafter hot rolling the ingot at a temperature of not more than 325.degree. C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.