Process for strengthening lead-antimony alloys
AssigneeASARCO Incorporated
InventorMichael Myers
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Abstract
A process is provided for increasing the strength of antimony-lead alloys by specially treating an alloy which contains an effective amount of arsenic in the alloy, the process comprising working the alloy, rapidly heat treating the alloy, which includes quenching, for a period of time sufficient to activate a strengthening mechanism in the alloy. The process is especially useful for the manufacture of battery grids on a continuous production line.
Claims28
A process for strengthening a lead-antimony alloy comprising, by weight, about 0.5%-6% antimony, about 0.002%-1% arsenic, about 0.02%-0.5% tin, the balance essentially lead, comprising:
- (a) working the alloy by rolling to produce a structure containing soluble antimony in the form of antimony-rich eutectic phase bands;
- (b) heating the alloy at an elevated-temperature for a sufficient time to provide an alloy having a recrystallized structure which strengthens on aging and which structure contains greater than 50% of the soluble antimony in the antimony-rich eutectic phase bands and less than 50% of the soluble antimony being dissolved in the lead;
- and
- (c) quenching the alloy.
An alloy consisting essentially of, by weight, about 0.5%-6% antimony, about 0.002%-1% arsenic, 0.02%-0.5% tin, the balance essentially lead, the alloy being characterized by having a recrystallized structure containing greater than 50% of the soluble antimony in an antimony-rich eutectic phase in the form of bands.
A process for preparing battery grids from a lead-antimony alloy comprising, by weight, about 0.05%-6% antimony, about 0.002%-1% arsenic, 0.02%-0.5% tin, the balance essentially lead, comprising:
- (a) working the alloy by rolling to a desired size strip, the alloy characterized by having a structure containing soluble antimony in the form of antimony-rich eutectic phase bands;
- (b) heating the strip at an elevated temperature for a sufficient time to provide an alloy having a recrystallized structure which strengthens on aging and which structure contains greater than 50% of the soluble antimony in the antimony-rich eutectic phase bands and less than 50% of the soluble antimony being dissolved in the lead;
- (c) quenching the strip;
- and
- (d) forming the strip into a battery grid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.