Method of treating aluminum-lithium alloys
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorGardner R. Martin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for heat treating an aluminum-lithium alloy material while preventing formation of lithium oxide and attendant lithium loss and associated strength degradation of the alloy, by application of a copper plating on the aluminum-lithium alloy material by electroplating, prior to heat treatment, and removing the copper plate subsequent to heat treatment by treating the aluminum-lithium alloy material in a suitable acid bath, such as an aqueous nitric acid solution.
Claims17
In a process for heat treating an aluminum-lithium alloy article, including the step of heating said article at elevated temperature, the improvement which comprises applying a copper plate on said article prior to said heating step, whereby formation of lithium oxide in said alloy is prevented during said heating step.
A process for heat treating an aluminum-lithium alloy article, to prevent lithium oxide formation during heat treatment, which comprises:
- electroplating copper on the surface of said article,
- heat treating said article at a temperature above about 900.degree. F.,
- contacting said heat treated article with a suitable acid bath which will not degrade the aluminum-lithium alloy base metal, and
- stripping said copper plate from said article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.