US2023095748A1PendingUtilityA1

Low carbon footprint aluminum casting component

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Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECH OPERATIONS LLCPriority: Sep 24, 2021Filed: May 6, 2022Published: Mar 30, 2023
Est. expirySep 24, 2041(~15.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Henry ZhanPaul N. CrepeauCongjie Wang
B22D 21/007C22C 21/02C22F 1/043
49
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Claims

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a cast aluminum component prepared using an aluminum alloy composition. The aluminum alloy composition includes greater than or equal to about 3 wt. % to less than or equal to about 9 wt. % of silicon, greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of magnesium, greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.8 wt. % of iron, greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of a combined concentration of chromium and manganese, greater than or equal to about 0.05 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % of a combined concentration of vanadium and titanium, and a balance of aluminum. Greater than or equal to about 40 wt. % of the aluminum alloy composition is derived from post-consumer aluminum scrap.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cast aluminum component prepared using an aluminum alloy composition that comprises:
 greater than or equal to about 3 wt. % to less than or equal to about 9 wt. % of silicon;   greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of magnesium;   greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.8 wt. % of iron;   greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of a combined concentration of chromium and manganese;   greater than or equal to about 0.05 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % of a combined concentration of vanadium and titanium; and   a balance of aluminum, wherein greater than or equal to about 40 wt. % of the aluminum alloy composition is derived from aluminum scrap.   
     
     
         2 . The cast aluminum component of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy composition comprises:
 greater than or equal to about 5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 9 wt. % of silicon;   greater than or equal to about 0.25 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.4 wt. % of magnesium; and   greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.4 wt. % of iron.   
     
     
         3 . The cast aluminum component of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy composition comprises:
 greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % of chromium; and   greater than or equal to about 0.1 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.25 wt. % of manganese.   
     
     
         4 . The cast aluminum component of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy composition comprises:
 greater than or equal to about 6.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 7.5 wt. % of silicon;   greater than or equal to about 0.25 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.35 wt. % of magnesium;   greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.25 wt. % of iron;   greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % of chromium; and   greater than or equal to about 0.1 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.25 wt. % of manganese.   
     
     
         5 . The cast aluminum component of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the combined concentration of chromium and manganese to iron is greater than or equal to about 0.6 to less than or equal to about 1.2, and a ratio of chromium to manganese is less than or equal to about 2. 
     
     
         6 . The cast aluminum component of  claim 1 , wherein the cast aluminum component has an average grain size less than or equal to about 300 μm at locations where the dendrite arm spacing is greater than or equal to about 30 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The cast aluminum component of  claim 1 , wherein the cast aluminum component has a tensile yield strength greater than or equal to about 140 MPa to less than or equal to about 270 MPa, and an elongation to fracture greater than or equal to about 7%. 
     
     
         8 . The cast aluminum component of  claim 1 , wherein the cast aluminum component comprises a grain refiner selected from the group consisting of: vanadium diboride (VB 2 ), Ti(C,B), and combinations thereof, wherein the grain refiners are embedded within an aluminum grain interior of the cast aluminum component. 
     
     
         9 . The cast aluminum component of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy composition consists essentially of:
 greater than or equal to about 3 wt. % to less than or equal to about 9 wt. % of silicon;   greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of magnesium;   greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.8 wt. % of iron;   greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of a combined concentration of chromium and manganese;   greater than or equal to about 0.05 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % of a combined concentration of vanadium and titanium; and   a balance of aluminum.   
     
     
         10 . A method for fabricating a cast aluminum component, the method comprising:
 forming an aluminum melt using greater than or equal to about 40 wt. % of aluminum scrap; and   adjusting the aluminum melt to form an aluminum alloy composition that defines the cast aluminum component, wherein the aluminum alloy composition comprises:
 greater than or equal to about 3 wt. % to less than or equal to about 9 wt. % of silicon; 
 greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of magnesium; 
 greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.8 wt. % of iron; 
 greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of a combined concentration of chromium and manganese; 
 greater than or equal to about 0.05 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % of a combined concentration of vanadium and titanium; and 
 a balance of aluminum. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cast aluminum component has an average grain size less than or equal to about 300 μm at locations where the dendrite arm spacing is greater than or equal to about 30 μm. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cast aluminum component comprises a grain refiner selected from the group consisting of: vanadium diboride (VB 2 ), Ti(C,B), and combinations thereof, wherein the grain refiners are embedded within an aluminum grain interior of the cast aluminum component. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the aluminum alloy composition has a ratio of the combined concentration of chromium and manganese to iron is greater than or equal to about 0.6 to less than or equal to about 1.2, and a ratio of chromium to manganese is less than or equal to about 2. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the aluminum alloy composition comprises:
 greater than or equal to about 6.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 7.5 wt. % of silicon;   greater than or equal to about 0.25 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.35 wt. % of magnesium;   greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.25 wt. % of iron;   greater than 0 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % of chromium; and   greater than or equal to about 0.1 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.25 wt. % of manganese.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 casting the aluminum alloy composition using a casting method selected from the group consisting of: gravity casting, low pressure die casting, semi-solid die casting, and counter pressure casting, and combinations thereof to form a cast aluminum component precursor;   heat treating the cast aluminum component precursor, wherein the heat treating comprises:
 heating the cast aluminum component precursor to a first temperature greater than or equal to about 450° C. to less than or equal to about 550° C. to form a heated cast aluminum component precursor; 
 maintaining the heated cast aluminum component precursor at the first temperature for greater than or equal to about 30 minutes to less than or equal to about 12 hours; and 
 cooling the heated cast aluminum component precursor to a second temperature less than or equal to about 120° C. to form a cooled cast aluminum component precursor; and 
   aging the cooled cast aluminum component precursor to form the cast aluminum component, wherein aging comprises:
 heating the cooled cast aluminum component precursor to a third temperature greater than or equal to about 120° C. to less than or equal to about 250° C. to form a reheated cast aluminum component precursor; and 
 maintaining the reheated cast aluminum component precursor at the third temperature for a time greater than or equal to about 30 minutes to less than or equal to about 20 hours. 
   
     
     
         16 . A method for fabricating a cast aluminum component, the method comprising:
 preparing an aluminum melt that forms the cast aluminum component, wherein the aluminum melt comprises:
 greater than or equal to about 3 wt. % to less than or equal to about 9 wt. % of silicon; 
 greater than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of magnesium; 
 greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.8 wt. % of iron; 
 greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.6 wt. % of a combined concentration of chromium and manganese; 
 greater than or equal to about 0.05 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.2 wt. % of a combined concentration of vanadium and titanium; and 
 a balance of aluminum. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 casting the aluminum melt to form the cast aluminum component, wherein the cast aluminum component has an average grain size less than or equal to about 300 μm at locations where the dendrite arm spacing is greater than or equal to about 30 μm.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 heat treating the cast aluminum component, wherein the heat treating comprises:
 heating the cast aluminum component to a first temperature greater than or equal to about 450° C. to less than or equal to about 550° C. to form a heated cast aluminum component; 
 maintaining the heated cast aluminum component at the first temperature for greater than or equal to about 30 minutes to less than or equal to about 12 hours; and 
 cooling the heated cast aluminum component to a second temperature less than or equal to about 120° C. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 aging the cast aluminum component, wherein aging comprises:
 heating the cast aluminum component to a temperature greater than or equal to about 120° C. to less than or equal to about 250° C.; and 
 maintaining the third temperature for a time greater than or equal to about 30 minutes to less than or equal to about 20 hours. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the aluminum melt has a ratio of the combined concentration of chromium and manganese to iron is greater than or equal to about 0.6 to less than or equal to about 1.2, and a ratio of chromium to manganese is less than or equal to about 2.

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