Method of producing superplastic alloys and superplastic alloys produced by the method

A method for producing a superplastic aluminum alloy, said method comprising:

• providing an alloy for processing, said alloy being a 6013/6111 alloy;
• solution heat treating said alloy;
• cooling the alloy to form a supersaturated solid solution;
• plastically deforming said alloy in a first deformation step sufficiently to form a high-energy defect structure, thereby forming nucleation sites useful for the subsequent nucleation of precipitates;
• aging said alloy, thereby forming precipitates at said nucleation sites;
• plastically deforming said alloy in a second deformation step to provide sufficient strain energy in said alloy to ensure recrystallization;
• and
• statically recrystallizing said alloy.

A method for producing a superplastic alloy, comprising:

• providing an alloy solid solution comprising a matrix phase and at least two alloying elements, at least one of said alloying elements comprising dispersoids or being capable of forming dispersoids, which are substantially insoluble in said matrix phase;
• plastically deforming said alloy in a first deformation step sufficiently to form a high energy defect structure, thereby forming nucleation sites useful for subsequent nucleation of precipitates;
• aging said alloy, thereby forming precipitates at said nucleation sites;
• and
• plastically deforming said alloy in a second deformation step and recrystallizing said alloy.