Back to results
US 6,672,368 B2Granted
Continuous casting of aluminum
AssigneeAlcoa Inc.
InventorAli Unal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of continuous casting aluminum alloys between a pair of rolls. Molten aluminum alloy is delivered to a roll bite between the rolls and passes into the roll nip in a semi-molten state. A solid strip of cast aluminum alloy exits the nip at speeds of about 25 to about 400 feet per minute. Thin gauge (0.07-0.25 inch) strip may be produced at rates of up to 2000 pounds per hour per inch of cast strip width.
Claims43
A method of continuously casting aluminum alloy strip comprising the steps of:
- providing a pair of rolls defining a nip therebetween;
- delivering molten aluminum alloy to the rolls;
- rotating the rolls to advance the molten aluminum alloy towards the nip;
- solidifying the molten aluminum alloy to produce a solid outer layer of aluminum alloy adjacent each roll and a semi-solid central layer of aluminum alloy between the solid layers;
- advancing the solid outer layers and the semi-solid central layer into the nip;
- solidifying the central layer within the nip to produce a solid strip of aluminum alloy comprising the central layer and the outer layers;
- and
- withdrawing a strip of solid aluminum alloy from the nip, wherein the molten aluminum alloy has an initial concentration of eutectic forming alloying elements and the concentration of eutectic forming alloying elements in the central layer is less than the initial concentration of the eutectic forming alloying elements.
5 more elements
A strip of aluminum alloy comprising:
- a pair of outer layers of an aluminum alloy;
- and
- a central layer of said aluminum alloy positioned between said outer layers, said outer layers and said central layer having been produced into a strip by continuous casting of a molten aluminum alloy composition between a pair of rolls, the molten aluminum alloy comprising eutectic forming alloying elements in an initial concentration,
- wherein the concentration of said eutectic forming alloying elements in said central layer is less than the concentration of said eutectic forming alloying elements in each said outer layer.
1 more element
A strip of aluminum alloy comprising:
- a pair of outer layers of an aluminum alloy;
- and
- a central layer of said aluminum alloy positioned between said outer layers and comprising globular dendrites, said outer layers and said central layer having been produced into a strip by continuous casting of a melt of said aluminum alloy composition delivered to a pair of rotating rolls, wherein the concentration of eutectic forming alloying elements in said dendrites is less than the concentration of eutectic forming alloying elements in said outer layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.