Techniques for producing aluminum alloy products having improved formability and recyclability

Abstract

Described are aluminum alloy products and methods of making aluminum alloy products in which the aluminum alloy products have carefully controlled intermetallic particle density and particle size. Such aluminum alloy products may exhibit favorable formability. Control over intermetallic particle size and density may allow for use of high amounts of recycled source content in aluminum alloy products.

1 . An aluminum alloy product comprising:
 an aluminum alloy comprising aluminum, iron, magnesium, manganese, and silicon, wherein a ratio of an iron wt. % in the aluminum alloy to a silicon wt. % in the aluminum alloy is from 0.5 to 5.0, and wherein the aluminum alloy includes a plurality of particles including α-phase intermetallic particles comprising aluminum, silicon, and one or more of iron or manganese and β-phase intermetallic particles comprising aluminum and one or more of iron or manganese; and   wherein the aluminum alloy has a particle density for the plurality of particles of from 5 particles per µm2 to 30,000 particles per µm2 and wherein the aluminum alloy has an inter-particle spacing for the plurality of particles of from 1 µm to 25 µm.   
     
     
         2 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles have diameters of from 500 nm to 50 µm. 
     
     
         3 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 1 , wherein the particle density is from 50 to 1,000 particles per µm2. 
     
     
         4 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises: 
 from 0.1 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % iron,   from 0.05 wt. % to 0.8 wt. % silicon,   from 0.2 wt. % to 2.0 wt. % manganese,   from 0.2 wt. % to 2.0 wt. % magnesium,   up to 0.5 wt. % copper,   up to 0.05 wt. % zinc, and   aluminum.   
     
     
         5 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an α-phase intermetallic particle number density to a β-phase intermetallic particle number density is from 0.2 to 1,000 or wherein a ratio of a volume % of the α-phase intermetallic particles to a volume % of the β-phase intermetallic particles is from 0.6 to 1,000. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprise iron-containing particles, wherein a majority of the iron-containing particles have a diameter from 1 µm to 40 µm. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 1 , further comprising manganese-containing dispersoids, wherein a majority of the manganese-containing dispersoids have a diameter of from 10 nm to 1.5 µm. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises a homogenized 3xxx series aluminum alloy, wherein the ratio of the iron wt. % in the homogenized 3xxx series aluminum alloy to the silicon wt. % in the homogenized 3xxx series aluminum alloy is from 0.5 to 1.0, and wherein the homogenized 3xxx series aluminum alloy includes α-phase intermetallic particles, and wherein at least a portion of the α-phase intermetallic particles are transformed from β-phase intermetallic particles during homogenization of the homogenized 3xxx series aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         17 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of making an aluminum alloy product, the method comprising:
 preparing a cast aluminum alloy product comprising an aluminum alloy, wherein the aluminum alloy comprises aluminum, iron, magnesium, manganese, and silicon, wherein a ratio of a silicon wt. % in the aluminum alloy to an iron wt. % in the aluminum alloy is from 0.5 to 1.0, and wherein the aluminum alloy includes a plurality of particles including α-phase intermetallic particles comprising aluminum, silicon, and one or more of iron or manganese and β-phase intermetallic particles comprising aluminum and one or more of iron or manganese; and   homogenizing the cast aluminum alloy product to form a homogenized aluminum alloy product by:   heating the cast aluminum alloy product to a homogenization temperature from 500° C. to 650° C.; and   soaking the cast aluminum alloy product at the homogenization temperature for a time duration from 0.1 hours to 36 hours, and   wherein the aluminum alloy product has a particle density for the plurality of particles of from 5 to 30,000 particles per µm2 and wherein the aluminum alloy product has an inter-particle spacing for the plurality of particles of from 1 µm to 25 µm.   
     
     
         21 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein, during the soaking, a number density of the β-phase intermetallic particles in the cast aluminum alloy product decreases as compared to a number density of the β-phase intermetallic particles in the cast aluminum alloy product prior to the soaking. 
     
     
         26 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the cast aluminum alloy product comprises a 3xxx series aluminum alloy including aluminum, iron, magnesium, manganese, and silicon, wherein a ratio of a silicon wt. % in the 3xxx series aluminum alloy to an iron wt. % in the 3xxx series aluminum alloy is from 0.5 to 1.0, and wherein the cast aluminum alloy product includes β-phase intermetallic particles and α-phase intermetallic particles;   the homogenization temperature is from 575° C. to 615° C.;   the time duration is from 12 hours to 36 hours; and   silicon from the 3xxx series aluminum alloy diffuses into and transforms at least a fraction of the β-phase intermetallic particles into α-phase intermetallic particles.   
     
     
         40 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein a ratio of an α-phase intermetallic particle number density to a β-phase intermetallic particle number density in the homogenized aluminum alloy product is from 2 to 1000. 
     
     
         51 - 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein preparing the cast aluminum alloy product comprises preparing a molten 3xxx series aluminum alloy and casting the molten 3xxx series aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         55 - 57 . (canceled) 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the homogenization temperature is a first homogenization temperature, and wherein the method further comprises:
 reducing a temperature of the homogenized aluminum alloy product to a second homogenization temperature less than the first homogenization temperature; and   soaking the homogenized aluminum alloy product at the second homogenization temperature for a second time duration.   
     
     
         59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the second homogenization temperature is from 500° C. to 600° C. 
     
     
         61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 . A method for improving formability of a metal product, the method comprising:
 providing a cast metal product comprising a metal composite, wherein the metal composite comprises iron, magnesium, manganese, and silicon, wherein a ratio of a silicon wt. % in the metal composite to an iron wt. % in the metal composite is from 0.5 to 1.0, and wherein the metal composite includes a plurality of particles including α-phase intermetallic particles comprising silicon and one or more of iron or manganese and β-phase intermetallic particles comprising one or more of iron or manganese; and   homogenizing the cast metal product to control an inter-particle spacing of the plurality of particles and to control a particle density of the plurality of particles such to achieve a ratio of an inter-particle spacing to particle density from 0.0003/µm to 0.0006/µm.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the inter-particle spacing is from 1 µm to 25 µm. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the particle density is from 5 to 30,000 particles per µm2. 
     
     
         66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein homogenizing the cast metal product comprises heating the cast metal product to a homogenization temperature from 400° C. to 800° C. and soaking the cast metal product at the homogenization temperature for a time duration from 0.1 hours to 48 hours. 
     
     
         69 . (canceled) 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein homogenizing the cast metal product further comprises subjecting the cast metal product to one or more of a hot rolling process or a cold rolling process.