Aluminum extrusion with low carbon footprint

Abstract

An alloy composition is provided. The alloy composition includes from about 0.5 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % silicon (Si), from about 0.5 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % magnesium (Mg), from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.2 wt. % zirconium (Zr), from about 0.2 wt. % to about 0.4 wt. % iron (Fe), from 0 wt. % to about 0.3 wt. % chromium (Cr), from 0 wt. % to about 0.3 wt. % manganese (Mn), from about 0 wt. % to about 1 wt. % copper (Cu), from about 0 wt. % to about 0.2 wt. % titanium (Ti), from about 0 wt. % to about 1 wt. % vanadium (V), and a balance of aluminum (Al). Greater than or equal to about 60% of the alloy composition is derived from Al scrap. Methods of forming the alloy composition and methods of forming an extruded article from the composition are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An alloy composition comprising:
 silicon (Si) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1.5 wt. %;   magnesium (Mg) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1.5 wt. %;   zirconium (Zr) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.1 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %;   iron (Fe) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.4 wt. %;   chromium (Cr) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %;   manganese (Mn) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %;   copper (Cu) at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1 wt. %;   titanium (Ti) at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %;   vanadium (V) at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %; and   a balance of the alloy composition being aluminum (Al).   
     
     
         2 . The alloy composition according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 the Si at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.7 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1 wt. %;   the Mg at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.7 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1 wt. %; and   the Zr at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.12 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.17 wt. %.   
     
     
         3 . The alloy composition according to  claim 1 , comprising at least one of:
 the Cr at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.05 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %; or   the Mn at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.05 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %.   
     
     
         4 . The alloy composition according to  claim 3 , comprising:
 the Cr at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.1 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.25 wt. %; and   the Mn at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.1 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.25 wt. %,   wherein the combined concentration of the Cr and the Mn is less than or equal to about 0.45 wt. %.   
     
     
         5 . The alloy composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the alloy composition further comprises:
 a first dispersoid comprising Zr and at least one of Si or Al; and   a second dispersoid comprising Si, Fe, Al, and at least one of Cr or Mn,   wherein the first and second dispersoids have individual diameters of greater than or equal to about 30 nm to less than or equal to about 100 nm.   
     
     
         6 . The alloy composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the alloy composition includes a reduced amount of intermetallic phases comprising Fe relative to a comparative 6082 alloy composition having substantially the same Fe concentration. 
     
     
         7 . The alloy composition according to  claim 1 , wherein greater than or equal to about 60% of the alloy composition is derived from post-consumer Al scrap. 
     
     
         8 . The alloy composition according to  claim 1  in the form of a billet or a log. 
     
     
         9 . The alloy composition according to  claim 7  in the form of an extruded article having a fibrous structure defined by the alloy composition. 
     
     
         10 . The alloy composition according to  claim 9 , wherein the extruded article is an automobile part selected from the group consisting of a beam, bumper, a floor pan, a battery enclosure, a wheel, a rocker, a control arm, a rail, a reinforcement panel, a step, a subframe member, a pillar, and a strut. 
     
     
         11 . The alloy composition according to  claim 9 , wherein the extruded article has a yield strength of greater than or equal to about 280 MPa and an elongation to fracture of greater than or equal to about 8%. 
     
     
         12 . A method of forming an extruded article, the method comprising:
 heating a billet comprising an alloy composition to a temperature of greater than or equal to about 450° C. to less than or equal to about 550° C. to form a heated billet;   extruding the heated billet through a die to form a heated extruded article; and   quenching the heated extruded article to form the extruded article, the extruded article having a fibrous structure defined by the alloy composition,   wherein the alloy composition comprises:
 silicon (Si) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1.5 wt. %; 
 magnesium (Mg) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1.5 wt. %; 
 zirconium (Zr) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.1 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %; 
 iron (Fe) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.4 wt. %; 
 chromium (Cr) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %; 
 manganese (Mn) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %; 
 copper (Cu) at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1 wt. %; 
 titanium (Ti) at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %; 
 vanadium (V) at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %; and 
 a balance of the alloy composition being aluminum (Al). 
   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein greater than or equal to about 60% of the alloy composition is derived from post-consumer Al scrap. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the alloy composition comprises:
 a first dispersoid comprising Zr and at least one of Si or Al; and   a second dispersoid comprising Si, Fe, Al, and at least one of Cr or Mn,   wherein the first and second dispersoids have individual diameters of greater than or equal to about 30 nm to less than or equal to about 100 nm.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the extruding is performed with a ram at a ram speed of greater than or equal to about 4 inches per minute to less than or equal to about 20 inches per minute. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the quenching is performed by water mist at a cooling rate of greater than or equal to about 0.05° C./s. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising aging the extruded article by heating the extruded article to a temperature of greater than or equal to about 120° C. to less than or equal to about 250° C. for a time of greater than or equal to about 0.5 hours to less than or equal to about 20 hours. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein, prior to the heating, the alloy composition is subjected to a homogenization process comprising:
 heating the billet at a rate of greater than or equal to about 1° C./min to less than or equal to about 10° C./min until the alloy composition reaches a temperature of greater than or equal to about 500° C. to less than or equal to about 580° C.;   maintaining the alloy composition at the temperature for greater than or equal to about 0.5 hours to less than or equal to about 24 hours; and   quenching the alloy composition.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the method generates less than or equal to about 10 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission per 1 ton of the extruded article that is formed. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming an alloy composition, the method comprising:
 forming a melt by melting post-consumer aluminum (Al) scrap;   adding at least one master alloy ingot to the melt, wherein the at least one master alloy ingot provides silicon (Si), magnesium (Mg), zirconium (Zr), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), and vanadium (V);   adding at least one primary Al ingot to the melt to form an alloy melt, wherein the alloy melt includes the primary Al ingot at a concentration of less than about 40 wt. % based on the total mass of the alloy melt;   casting the alloy melt in a direct-chilled tooling to form a casted alloy composition; and   solidifying the casted alloy composition to form the alloy composition,   wherein the alloy composition comprises:
 Si at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1.8 wt. %; 
 Mg at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1.5 wt. %; 
 Zr at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.05 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %; 
 iron (Fe) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.4 wt. %; 
 Cr at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %; 
 Mn at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %; 
 Cu at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 1 wt. %; 
 Ti at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %; 
 V at a concentration of greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. %; and 
 a balance of the alloy composition being Al.