Aluminum automotive heat shields

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for producing aluminum automotive heat shields or panels such as from scrap derived molten aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab. The method comprises providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.1 to 0.7 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.9 wt. % Fe, 0.05 to 0.5 wt. % Cu, 0.05 to 1.3 wt. % Mn, 0.2 to 2.8 wt. % Mg, 0.3 wt. % max. Cr, 0.3 wt. % max. Zn, 0.2 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities and providing a continuous caster such as a belt caster, block caster or roll caster for continuously casting the molten aluminum alloy. The molten aluminum alloy is cast into a slab which is rolled into a sheet product and then annealed. Thereafter, the sheet product is formed into the automotive heat shield or panel with strength and formability as required by the automotive industry.

1 . In the production of an aluminum automotive heat shields from a molten: aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab, the method comprising:
 (a) melting aluminum scrap to provide a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.1 to 0.7 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.9 wt. % Fe, 0.05 to 0.5 wt. % Cup 0.05 to 1.3 wt. % Mn, 0.2 to 2.8 wt. % Mg, 0.3 wt. % max. Cr, 0.3 wt. % max. Zn, 0.2 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;   (b) providing a continuous caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;   (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a 0.2 to 2 inch thickness;   (d) rolling said slab into a sheet product;   (e) annealing said sheet product to an O-temper condition; and   (f) forming said sheet in said O-temper into said automotive heat shield.   
   
   
       2 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  wherein manganese is maintained in the range of 0.07 to 1.2 wt. %. 
   
   
       3 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  wherein magnesium is maintained in the range of 0.3 to 2.5 wt. %. 
   
   
       4 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  wherein iron is maintained in the range of 0.3 to 0.85 wt. %. 
   
   
       5 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said continuous caster is a belt caster, a block caster or a roll caster. 
   
   
       6 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield or member in accordance with  claim 1  including annealing said sheet product in a temperature range of 600° to 1100° F. 
   
   
       7 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  including annealing said sheet product in a temperature range of 650° to 950° F. 
   
   
       8 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 7  including annealing for about 2 to 10 hours. 
   
   
       9 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  including continuously annealing said sheet product. 
   
   
       10 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  including hot rolling said slab to a hot rolled sheet product. 
   
   
       11 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  including hot rolling said slab to a hot rolled sheet product followed by cold rolling. 
   
   
       12 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 11  wherein said cold rolling provides a 20 to 90% gauge reduction. 
   
   
       13 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 11  including annealing said cold rolled sheet product. 
   
   
       14 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 13  wherein said cold rolled sheet product is annealed in a temperature range of 600° to 1000° F. 
   
   
       15 . In the production of the aluminum heat shield in accordance with  claim 1  wherein primary aluminum is added to bring said alloy into said range. 
   
   
       16 . In a method for the production of an aluminum automotive heat shield from molten aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab, the method comprising:
 (a) melting aluminum scrap to provide a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.1 to 0.7 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.9 wt. % Fe, 0.05 to 0.5 wt. % Cu, 0.05 to 1.3 wt. % Mn, 0.2 to 2.8 wt. % Mg, 0.3 wt. % max. Cr, 0.3 wt. % max. Zn, 0.2 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;   (b) providing a continuous caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;   (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness in the range of 0.2 inch to 2 inches;   (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product, said hot rolling starting in a temperature range of 700° to 1100° F. and ending in a temperature of 400° to 825° F.;   (e) annealing said hot rolled sheet product to an O-temper condition, said hot rolled sheet product in said condition having a tensile strength in the range of 12 to 35 ksi, a yield strength in the range of 5 to 20 ksi, and an elongation greater than 15%; and   (f) forming said sheet product in said O-temper condition into said heat shield.   
   
   
       17 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  wherein magnesium is maintained in the range of 0.3 to 2.5 wt. %. 
   
   
       18 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  wherein iron is maintained in the range of 0.3 to 0.85 wt. %. 
   
   
       19 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  including annealing said hot rolled sheet in a temperature range of 600° to 1100° F. 
   
   
       20 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  including annealing said hot rolled sheet in a temperature range of 700° to 950° F. 
   
   
       21 . The method in accordance with  claim 19  including annealing for about 2 to 10 hours. 
   
   
       22 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  including continuously annealing said sheet product. 
   
   
       23 . A method for producing an aluminum automotive heat shield from molten aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab, the method comprising:
 (a) melting aluminum scrap to provide a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.1 to 0.7 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.9 wt. % Fe, 0.05 to 0.5 wt. % Cu, 0.05 to 1.3 wt. % Mn, 0.2 to 2.8 wt. % Mg, 0.3 wt. % max. Cr, 0.3 wt. % max. Zn, 0.2 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;   (b) providing a continuous caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;   (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab using said caster, the slab having a thickness in the range of 0.2 to 2 inches thick;   (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product;   (e) cold rolling said hot rolled sheet product to a thickness in the range of 0.01 inch to 0.1 inch to provide a cold rolled sheet product;   (f) annealing said cold rolled sheet product to provide an annealed sheet product, said annealed sheet product having a tensile strength in the range of 12 to 35 ksi, a yield strength in the range of 5 to 20 ksi and an elongation greater than 15%; and   (g) forming said annealed sheet product into said automotive heat shield.   
   
   
       24 . The method in accordance with  claim 23  including annealing said cold rolled product to an O-temper. 
   
   
       25 . The method in accordance with  claim 23  including annealing in a temperature range of 600° to 1000° F. 
   
   
       26 . The method in accordance with  claim 23  including annealing for about 2 to 10 hours. 
   
   
       27 . The method in accordance with  claim 23  including continuously annealing said sheet product. 
   
   
       28 . The method in accordance with  claim 23  wherein said cold rolling provides a 20 to 90% gauge reduction. 
   
   
       29 . A method for producing aluminum automotive heat shield from molten aluminum alloy using a continuous caster to cast the alloy into a slab, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a molten aluminum alloy consisting essentially of 0.1 to 0.7 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.9 wt. % Fe, 0.05 to 0.5 wt. % Cu, 0.05 to 1.3 wt. % Mn, 0.2 to 2.8 wt. % Mg, 0.3 wt. % max. Cr, 0.3 wt. % max. Zn, 0.2 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities;   (b) providing a continuous caster for continuously casting said molten aluminum alloy;   (c) casting said molten aluminum alloy into a slab having a thickness in the range of 0.2 to 2 inches;   (d) hot rolling said slab into a hot rolled sheet product, said hot rolling starting in a temperature range of 700° F. to 1100° F. and ending in a temperature range of 400° to 825° F.;   (e) annealing said hot rolled sheet product to provide an annealed sheet product;   (f) cold rolling said annealed sheet product to a thickness in the range of 0.01 inch to 0.1 inch to provide a cold rolled sheet product;   (g) annealing said cold rolled sheet product to provide a sheet product having a tensile strength in the range of 12 to 35 ksi, a yield strength in the range of 5 to 20 ksi and an elongation of greater than 15%; and   (h) forming said annealed sheet product into said automotive heat shield.   
   
   
       30 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  including batch annealing said hot rolled sheet product. 
   
   
       31 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  including continuous annealing said hot rolled sheet product. 
   
   
       32 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  including annealing said hot rolled sheet product in a temperature range of 650° to 1000° F. 
   
   
       33 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  including annealing in a temperature range of 650° to 950° F. 
   
   
       34 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  wherein said cold rolling provides a 25 to 80% gauge reduction. 
   
   
       35 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  wherein said annealing cold rolled sheet provides a 25 to 80% gauge reduction. 
   
   
       36 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  wherein manganese is maintained in the range of 0.07 to 1.2 wt. %. 
   
   
       37 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  wherein magnesium is maintained in the range of 0.3 to 2.5 wt. %. 
   
   
       38 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  wherein iron is maintained in the range of 0.3 to 0.85 wt. %. 
   
   
       39 . The method in accordance with  claim 29  wherein said cold rolled sheet product has a thickness in the range of 0.01 inch to 0.1 inch. 
   
   
       40 . In an automobile, an aluminum heat shield comprised of an alloy containing 0.1 to 0.7 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.9 wt. % Fe, 0.05 to 0.5 wt. % Cu, 0.05 to 1.3 wt. % Mn, 0.2 to 2.8 wt. % Mg, 0.3 wt. % max. Cr, 0.3 wt. % max. Zn, 0.2 wt. % max. Ti, the remainder aluminum, incidental elements and impurities, the alloy being derived from aluminum scrap.