High-strength mechanical and structural components, and methods of making high-strength components

Abstract

The invention includes components comprising an alloy containing a base metal and less than or equal to 30% alloying elements. The material has a grain size of less than or equal to about 30 microns and an absence of voids and inclusions of a size greater than 1 micron. The components have a yield strength at least 50% greater than the identical alloy composition in the 0 temper condition. Where the material is heat treatable, the yield strength is at least 10% greater than the identical composition in the T6 temper condition. The invention includes a method of producing components by casting and initial treatment to form a billet. The billet is subjected to equal channel angular extrusion and subsequent annealing at a temperature of less than or equal to 0.85 times the minimum temperature for inducing growth of submicron grains to over 1 micron.

1 . A high-strength engine component comprising a material consisting of an alloy containing a base metal alloyed with less than or equal to 30% of alloying elements, by weight, the material having an average grain size of less than or equal to about 30 micron, an absence of voids and inclusions having a size greater than 1 micron, and a yield strength at least 50% greater than the yield strength of the identical alloy composition in the annealed 0 temper condition.  
   
   
       2 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the average grain size is less than or equal to 1 micron.  
   
   
       3 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the yield strength is at least 100% greater than the yield of the identical alloy in the annealed 0 temper condition.  
   
   
       4 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the material has a fatigue life at least 5% greater than the fatigue life of the identical alloy composition in the annealed 0 temper condition.  
   
   
       5 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 4  wherein the material has a fatigue life at least 20% greater than the fatigue life of the identical alloy composition in the annealed 0 temper condition.  
   
   
       6 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the base metal is selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Mg, Be, Ni, Fe, Cu, Co, W, Ta, Zn, Ag, Sn, Pb, In, Au, Si, Sb, Mo, V, Sc, Cr, Y, B, Mn, C, Li, P, S, Nb, Zr, Pd, and Cd.  
   
   
       7 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the alloy comprises at least one of Al, Ti, Mg, Be, Ni, and Fe.  
   
   
       8 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the alloy is an Al alloy selected from the group consisting of 2xxx series, 3xxx series, 4xxx series, 5xxx series, 6xxx series and 7xxx series Al alloys.  
   
   
       9 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the alloy is an Al—Li alloy.  
   
   
       10 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the alloy is a Ti—Al—V alloy.  
   
   
       11 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the base metal is Mg.  
   
   
       12 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 1  wherein the engine component is a wheel.  
   
   
       13 . A high-strength engine component comprising a material consisting of an alloy containing a base metal alloyed with less than or equal to 0% of alloying elements, by weight, the material having an average grain size of less than or equal to about 30 micron, an absence of voids and inclusions having a size greater than 1 micron, soluble second phase precipitates having an average size of less than 30 micron, and a yield strength at least 10% greater than the yield strength of the identical alloy composition in the T6 temper condition.  
   
   
       14 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 13  wherein the material has a yield strength at least 30% greater than the yield strength of the identical alloy composition in the T6 temper condition.  
   
   
       15 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 13  wherein the material has a fatigue life at least 5% greater than the fatigue life of the identical alloy composition in the T6 temper condition.  
   
   
       16 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 13  wherein the base metal is selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Mg, Be, Ni, Fe, Cu, Co, W, Ta, Zn, Ag, Sn, Pb, In, Au, Si, Sb, Mo, V, Sc, Cr, Y, B, Mn, C, Li, P, S, Nb, Zr, Pd, and Cd.  
   
   
       17 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 13  wherein the alloy comprises at least one of Al, Ti, Mg, Be, Ni, and Fe.  
   
   
       18 . The high-strength engine component of  claim 13  wherein the alloy is an alloy selected from the group consisting of 2xxx series, 3xxx series, 4xxx series, 5xxx series, 6xxx series, and 7xxx series Al alloys, Al—Li alloys, Ti—Al—V alloys and Mg based alloys.  
   
   
       19 . A vehicle structural component comprising a material consisting of an alloy comprising at least two elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Mg, Be, Ni, Fe, Cu, Co, W, Ta, Zn, Ag, Sn, Pb, In, Au, Si, Sb, Mo, V, Sc, Cr, Y, B, Mn, C, Li, P, S, Nb, Zr, Pd, and Cd, the alloy containing a base metal alloyed with less than or equal to 10% of additional alloying elements, by weight, the material having an average grain size of less than or equal to about 30 micron, an absence of voids and inclusions having a size greater than 1 micron, and a yield strength at least 50% greater than the yield strength of the identical alloy composition in the annealed 0 temper condition.  
   
   
       20 . The vehicle structural component of  claim 19  wherein the alloy is an alloy selected from the group consisting of 2xxx series, 3xxx series, 4xxx series, 5xxx series, 6xxx series, and 7xxx series Al alloys, Al—Li alloys, Ti—Al—V alloys, and Mg-based alloys.  
   
   
       21 . The vehicle structural component of  claim 19  wherein the structural component is a body panel.  
   
   
       22 . A vehicle structural component comprising a material consisting of an alloy comprising at least two elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Mg, Be, Ni, Fe, Cu, Co, W, Ta, Zn, Ag, Sn, Pb, In, Au, Si, Sb, Mo, V, Sc, Cr, Y, B, Mn, C, Li, P, S, Nb, Zr, Pd, and Cd, the alloy containing a base metal alloyed with less than or equal to 30% of additional alloying elements, by weight, the material having an average grain size of less than or equal to about 30 microns, an absence of voids and inclusions having a size greater than 1 micron, soluble second phase precipitates having an average size of less than 30 micron, and a yield strength at least 10% greater than the yield strength of the identical alloy composition in the T6 temper condition.  
   
   
       23 . The vehicle structural component of  claim 22  wherein the alloy is an alloy selected from the group consisting of 2xxx series, 3xxx series, 4xxx series, 5xxx series, 6xxx series, and 7xxx series Al alloys, Al—Li alloys, Ti—Al—V alloys and Mg based alloys.  
   
   
       24 . The vehicle structural component of  claim 22  wherein the structural component is a body panel.  
   
   
       25 . A method of producing an engine component comprising: 
 providing a cast alloy;    performing an initial treatment comprising at least one of thermo-mechanical processing and solutionizing to form a billet;    subjecting the billet to at least one pass of equal channel angular extrusion; and    annealing the extruded billet for at least  30  minutes at a temperature of less than or equal to 0.85 T r , where T r  is the minimum temperature for which a 30 minute anneal of the extruded billet will produce growth of grains to over 1 micron.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the initial processing further comprises performing at least one pass of equal channel angular extrusion utilizing heated extrusion die prior to any solutionizing and quenching.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the heated extrusion die are at least 250° C.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the alloy comprises one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Mg, Be, Ni, Fe, Cu, Co, W, Ta, Zn, Ag, Sn, Pb, In, Au, Si, Sb, Mo, V, Sc, Cr, Y, B, Mn, C, Li, P, S, Nb, Zr, Pd, and Cd.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the alloy comprises a base metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Mg, and Be.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the alloy is a heat treatable alloy.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the initial treatment comprises solutionizing sufficiently to dissolve all soluble second phases followed immediately by quenching.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising maintaining the billet at a temperature of less than or equal to about 0° C. after quenching.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31  further wherein the at least one pass of equal channel angular extrusion is a plurality of passes, and further comprising quenching the billet between each of the plurality of passes.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising refrigerating the billet between passes of equal channel angular extrusion.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising artificial precipitation aging the billet at a temperature below the peak aging temperature of the billet.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the alloy is a non-heat treatable alloy, and wherein the initial treatment lacks solutionizing.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising pre-heating prior to subjecting to equal channel angular extrusion.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the preheating comprises at least one of infrared heating and rapid induction heating.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising heating the billet between each pass of equal channel angular extrusion.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising applying a back pressure on the billet during the at least one pass of equal channel angular extrusion.  
   
   
       41 . A method of forming a vehicle structural component comprising: 
 forming a billet comprising a heat heat-treatable alloy, the forming comprising: 
 casting the material; and  
 solutionizing the material;  
   subjecting the billet to at least one pass of equal channel angular extrusion; and    annealing the extruded billet for at least  30  minutes at a temperature of less than or equal to 0.85 T r , where T r  is the minimum temperature for which a 30 minute anneal of the extruded billet will produce growth of grains to over 1 micron.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the alloy is an aluminum based alloy.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42  is selected from the 2xxx series of aluminum alloys.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the alloy comprises one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Mg, Be, Ni, Fe, Cu, Co, W, Ta, Zn, Ag, Sn, Pb, In, Au, Si, Sb, Mo, V, Sc, Cr, Y, B, Mn, C, Li, P, S, Nb, Zr, Pd, and Cd.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the forming the billet further comprises at least one of hot forging and rolling prior to the solutionizing.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the forming the billet further comprises quenching the billet immediately after solutionizing.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the forming the billet further comprises performing at least one pass of equal channel angular extrusion prior to the solutionizing, wherein at least one of the billet and extrusion die are heated prior to the at least one pass.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein an amount of alloying elements solubilized during the formation of the billet is increased due to the equal channel angular extrusion performed prior to solutionizing.