Aluminum alloy for impact extruded containers and method of making the same

Abstract

Novel aluminum alloys are provided for use in an impact extrusion manufacturing process to create shaped containers and other articles of manufacture. In one embodiment blends of recycled scrap aluminum are used in conjunction with relatively pure aluminum to create novel compositions which may be formed and shaped in an environmentally friendly process. Other embodiments include methods for manufacturing a slug material comprising mixtures of aluminum alloys for use in the impact extraction process, a container manufactured using the aluminum alloy in an impact extrusion process, and the container, wherein the material of the container is the aluminum alloy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aluminum alloy for use in an impact extrusion process to form a metallic container which is configured to receive an end closure, the aluminum alloy comprising:
 at least 97.56 wt. % Al;   between about 0.07 wt. % Si and about 0.18 wt. % Si;   between about 0.22 wt. % Fe and about 0.44 wt. % Fe;   between about 0.22 wt. % Mn and about 0.65 wt. % Mn;   between about 0.06 wt. % Mg and about 0.20 wt. % Mg;   between about 0.02 wt. % Ti and about 0.05 wt. % Ti; and   a balance comprising at least one of Zn, Cr and impurities.   
     
     
         2 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at most 0.17 wt. % Mg;   between about 0.02 wt. % Zn and about 0.04 wt. % Zn; and   between about 0.02 wt. % Cr and about 0.04 wt. % Cr.   
     
     
         3 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 2 , further comprising between about 0.03 wt. % Cu and about 0.18 wt. % Cu. 
     
     
         4 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy is formed from between 40 wt. % and 90 wt. % of a first aluminum and between 10 wt. % and 60 wt. % of a second aluminum. 
     
     
         5 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 4 , wherein the first aluminum is selected from a first group consisting of AA1050, AA1070 or P1020A. 
     
     
         6 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 4 , wherein the second aluminum is selected from a second group consisting of AA3104, AA3004, AA3105, AA3003 or AA3103. 
     
     
         7 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 4 , further comprising a titanium boride added to a melt of the first aluminum and the second aluminum to alter a grain structure of the aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         8 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein a hardness of a sample of the aluminum alloy is between 52.4 HB and 68.8 HB. 
     
     
         9 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein a yield strength of a sample of the aluminum alloy with a thickness of 5.5 mm is between 20.7 MPa and 55.2 MPa. 
     
     
         10 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , further comprising between about 0.02 wt. % Zn and about 0.04 wt. % Zn. 
     
     
         11 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 10 , further comprising between about 0.02 wt. % Cr and about 0.04 wt. % Cr. 
     
     
         12 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 11 , further comprising at least about 0.03 wt. % Cu. 
     
     
         13 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , further comprising at least about 0.03 wt. % Cu. 
     
     
         14 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , further comprising between 0.015 wt. % Cu and about 0.2 wt. % Cu. 
     
     
         15 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein a tensile strength of a sample of the aluminum alloy with a thickness of 5.5 mm is between 96.5 MPa and 144.8 MPa, and wherein an elongation percent of a sample of the aluminum alloy with a thickness of 5.5 mm is between 30% and 42%. 
     
     
         16 . A method to produce a slug formed from an aluminum alloy, the slug configured for use in an impact extrusion process to form a metallic container which is configured to receive an end closure, comprising:
 forming an aluminum alloy which comprises:
 at least 97.56 wt. % Al; 
 between about 0.07 wt. % Si and about 0.18 wt. % Si; 
 between about 0.22 wt. % Fe and about 0.44 wt. % Fe; 
 between about 0.22 wt. % Mn and about 0.65 wt. % Mn; 
 between about 0.06 wt. % Mg and about 0.20 wt. % Mg; 
 between about 0.02 wt. % Ti and about 0.05 wt. % Ti; and 
 a balance comprising at least one of Zn, Cr and impurities; and 
   forming the slug from the aluminum alloy, wherein a thickness of the slug is between 3.81 millimeters (mm) and 14.0 mm, and a diameter or width of the slug is between 20.3 mm and 88.9 mm.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising combining between 40 wt. % and 90 wt. % of a first aluminum alloy and between 10 wt. % and 60 wt. % of a second aluminum alloy to form the aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 melting the first aluminum alloy and the second aluminum alloy to form a melt; and   adding titanium boride to the melt to alter a grain structure of the aluminum alloy, wherein the first aluminum alloy is selected from a first group consisting of AA1050, AA1070 or P1020A, and wherein the second aluminum alloy is selected from a second group consisting of AA3104, AA3004, AA3105, AA3003 or AA3103.   
     
     
         19 . A method for producing a metallic container which is configured to receive an end closure in an impact extrusion process from a slug formed from an aluminum alloy, comprising:
 providing the slug formed of the aluminum alloy, wherein the aluminum alloy comprises:
 at least 97.56 wt. % Al; 
 between about 0.07 wt. % Si and about 0.18 wt. % Si; 
 between about 0.22 wt. % Fe and about 0.44 wt. % Fe; 
 between about 0.22 wt. % Mn and about 0.65 wt. % Mn; 
 between about 0.06 wt. % Mg and about 0.20 wt. % Mg; 
 between about 0.02 wt. % Ti and about 0.05 wt. % Ti; and 
 a balance comprising at least one of Zn, Cr and impurities; and 
   wherein a thickness of the slug is between 3.81 millimeters (mm) and 14.0 mm, and a diameter or width of the slug is between 20.3 mm and 88.9 mm.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the aluminum alloy is formed by combining between 40 wt. % and 90 wt. % of a first aluminum alloy and between 10 wt. % and 60 wt. % of a second aluminum alloy.