High strength aluminum
alloy rivets are provided in which the aluminum alloys exhibit high strength at atmospheric temperatures and maintain high strength and
ductility at extremely low temperatures. The rivets are produced from an
alloy which is made by blending about 89 atomic % to 99 atomic % aluminum, 1 atomic % to 11 atomic % of a secondary
metal selected from the group consisting of
magnesium,
lithium,
silicon,
titanium,
zirconium, and combinations thereof, and up to about 10 atomic % of a
tertiary metal selected from the group consisting of Be, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, W, and combinations thereof. The
alloy is produced by
nanostructure material synthesis, such as cryomilling, in the absence of extrinsically added
refractory dispersoids. The synthesized alloy is then consolidated and formed into a
solid or blind
rivet. Grain size within the
rivet is less than 0.5 μm, and the
rivet has exceptional
thermal stability, resistance to strain localization
cracking during rivet head upsetting, and resistance to
stress corrosion cracking during service.