Methods to increase titanium in aluminum alloys

Abstract

A method of making an aluminum alloy containing titanium includes heating a first composition to a first temperature. The first composition includes aluminum. The first temperature is greater than or equal to a liquidus temperature of the first composition. The method further includes adding a second composition to the first composition to form a third composition. The second composition includes a copper-titanium compound. The method further includes decomposing at least a portion of the copper-titanium compound into copper and titanium. The method further includes cooling the third composition to a second temperature to form a first solid material. The second temperature is less than or equal to a solidus temperature of the third composition. The method further includes heat treating the first solid material to form the aluminum alloy containing titanium.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making an aluminum alloy containing titanium, the method comprising:
 heating a first composition comprising aluminum to a first temperature of greater than or equal to a liquidus temperature of the first composition;   adding a second composition comprising a copper-titanium compound to the first composition to form a third composition;   decomposing at least a portion of the copper-titanium compound into copper and titanium;   cooling the third composition to a second temperature less than or equal to a solidus temperature of the third composition to form a first solid material; and   heat treating the first solid material to form the aluminum alloy containing titanium.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat treating the first solid material facilitates a formation of a plurality of aluminum-titanium precipitates as a distinct phase in the aluminum alloy containing titanium. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the aluminum-titanium precipitates of the plurality of aluminum-titanium precipitates have an average diameter of less than or equal to about 500 microns (μm). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the aluminum alloy containing titanium comprises a matrix comprising aluminum, the matrix having titanium dissolved therein; and   a combined amount of titanium in the plurality of aluminum-titanium precipitates and the matrix is greater than or equal to about 0.1% by mass to less than or equal to about 1.39% by mass of the aluminum alloy containing titanium.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the aluminum-titanium precipitates of the plurality of aluminum-titanium precipitates comprises Al 3 Ti. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat treating the first solid material facilitates a formation of a plurality of aluminum-copper precipitates as a distinct phase in the aluminum alloy containing titanium. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the decomposing at least a portion of the second composition and the cooling the third composition are performed concurrently. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the copper-titanium compound is selected from the group consisting of: Ti 3 Cu, Ti 2 Cu, TiCu, Ti 3 Cu 4 , Ti 2 Cu 3 , TiCu 2 , TiCu 4 , Ti x Cu 1-x , CuTi y Zr 2-y , and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat treating the first solid material comprises:
 heating the first solid material to a third temperature of less than the solidus temperature of the third composition to form a second solid material;   cooling the second solid material to a fourth temperature of less than the third temperature to form a quenched second solid material;   heating the quenched second solid material to a fifth temperature of greater than the fourth temperature and less than the third temperature to form a third solid material;   cooling the third solid material to a sixth temperature of less than the fifth temperature to form a quenched third solid material; and   heating the quenched third solid material to a seventh temperature of greater than the sixth temperature and less than the fifth temperature to form the aluminum alloy containing titanium.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the fifth temperature is greater than or equal to about 350° C. to less than or equal to about 450° C.; and   the seventh temperature is greater than or equal to about 150° C. to less than or equal to about 250° C.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the cooling the third composition to the second temperature is performed at a first cooling rate of greater than or equal to about 0.1° C./second to less than or equal to about 100° C./second;   the cooling the second solid material to the fourth temperature is performed at a second cooling rate of greater than or equal to about 0.5° C./second to less than or equal to about 150° C./second;   the fourth temperature is greater than or equal to about 20° C. to less than or equal to about 300° C.;   the cooling the third solid material to the sixth temperature is performed at a third cooling rate of greater than or equal to about 0.5° C./second to less than or equal to about 150° C./second; and   the sixth temperature is greater than or equal to about 20° C. to less than or equal to about 200° C.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat treating the first solid material comprises:
 heating the first solid material to a third temperature of less than the solidus temperature of the third composition to form a second solid material;   cooling the second solid material to a fourth temperature of less than the third temperature to form a quenched second solid material;   heating the quenched second solid material to a fifth temperature of greater than the fourth temperature and less than the third temperature to form a third solid material;   heating the third solid material to a sixth temperature of greater than the fifth temperature and less than the third temperature to form a fourth solid material;   cooling the fourth solid material to a seventh temperature of less than the sixth temperature to form a quenched fourth solid material; and   heating the quenched fourth solid material to an eighth temperature of greater than the seventh temperature and less than or equal to the fifth temperature to form the aluminum alloy containing titanium.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the fifth temperature is greater than or equal to about 250° C. to less than or equal to about 400° C.;   the sixth temperature is greater than or equal to about 350° C. to less than or equal to about 500° C.; and   the eighth temperature is greater than or equal to about 150° C. to less than or equal to about 250° C.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the cooling the third composition to the second temperature is performed at a first cooling rate of greater than or equal to about 0.1° C./second to less than or equal to about 100° C./second;   the cooling the second solid material to the fourth temperature is performed at a second cooling rate of greater than or equal to about 0.5° C./second to less than or equal to about 150° C./second;   the fourth temperature is greater than or equal to about 20° C. to less than or equal to about 300° C.;   the cooling the fourth solid material to the seventh temperature is performed at a third cooling rate of greater than or equal to about 10° C./second to less than or equal to about 100° C./second; and   the seventh temperature is greater than or equal to about 20° C. to less than or equal to about 300° C.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy containing titanium comprises titanium at greater than or equal to about 0.15% by mass to less than or equal to about 2% by mass. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first composition further comprises at least one of silicon and magnesium. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second composition is in the form of a plurality of particles, the plurality of particles at least partially encased in a fourth composition comprising aluminum. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy containing titanium comprises an average grain size of greater than or equal to about 10 microns (μm) to less than or equal to about 10 centimeters (cm). 
     
     
         19 . An aluminum alloy comprising titanium comprising:
 a matrix comprising aluminum;   a plurality of aluminum-titanium precipitates; and   a plurality of aluminum-copper precipitates, wherein the aluminum alloy comprising titanium comprises titanium at greater than or equal to about 0.15% by mass to less than or equal to about 2% by mass and copper at greater than or equal to about 0.05% by mass to less than or equal to about 10% by mass.   
     
     
         20 . The aluminum alloy comprising titanium of  claim 19 , wherein:
 at least a portion of the aluminum-titanium precipitates of the plurality of aluminum-titanium precipitates comprise Al 3 Ti;   the aluminum-titanium precipitates of the plurality of aluminum-titanium precipitates have an average diameter of less than or equal to about 50 microns (μm); and   the aluminum-copper precipitates of the plurality of aluminum-copper precipitates have an average diameter of less than or equal to about 5 microns (μm).