Rapid annealing and quenching of ear or luders reduced aluminum alloy products

Abstract

A method for preparing a rolled aluminum alloy product capable of resisting the earmaking or Luders effect when stretched or formed is described. The rolled aluminum alloy product is subjected to a rapid annealing and quenching process prior to the cold rolling process. The rapid annealing and quenching treatments described herein can replace batch annealing often used to treat hot-rolled aluminum alloy products prior to cold rolling, and can shorten the processing time prior to cold rolling. The rapid annealing process may heat the rolled aluminum alloy product to a desired peak temperature very quickly, such as within a few seconds to a few minutes, and may quench the annealed aluminum alloy product quickly, such as within a few seconds to a few minutes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to metallurgy, and more particularly to aluminum alloys and aluminum alloy products having low roping. In certain aspects, the present disclosure also provides methods of making such products. Background Art

[0002] Aluminum alloy products are suitable for use in many different applications, such as those that particularly require strength and durability. For example, aluminum alloys are often used in place of steel for automotive skin panels and structural applications. Since aluminum alloys are generally about 2.8 times less dense than steel, the use of such materials reduces the weight of the vehicle and achieves a significant improvement in its fuel economy. Even so, there are still certain challenges in using currently available aluminum alloys in automobiles and other applications.

[0003] One such challenge facing skin applications involves forming automotive parts with high elongation, improved surface quality (eg, low lugging), and high bendability or hemmability for assembly of the automotive parts.

[0004] Earing is a strain-induced roughness or macroscopic surface roughening defect. Earing is characterized by visible lines that may be several centimeters wide along the rolling direction. Earing may be caused by the material being stretched in the transverse direction. The surface distribution of ridges and valleys can limit the use of the material for exterior panels in vehicle applications. Summary of the invention

[0005] The term embodiment and similar terms are intended to refer broadly to the subject matter of the present disclosure and the entirety of the following claims. Statements containing these terms should not be understood to limit the subject matter described herein, or to limit the meaning or scope of the following claims. The embodiments of the present disclosure covered herein are defined by the following claims rather than by this disclosure. This disclosure is a high-level overview of various aspects of the present disclosure and introduces some concepts that are further described in the following detailed description section. This disclosure is neither intended to identify the key or essential features of the claimed subject matter nor to be used independently to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to the appropriate portions of the entire specification of the present disclosure, any or all drawings, and each claim.

[0006] On the one hand, a method for preparing a rolled aluminum alloy product is provided herein. The rolled aluminum alloy product can resist earing or Ludering effect when stretched or formed. The described method can adopt a process in which the aluminum alloy product is subjected to a rapid annealing and quenching process during processing to impart the desired properties to the aluminum alloy product. In some cases, the desired properties can be directly imparted to the aluminum alloy product immediately after being subjected to rapid annealing and quenching. In some cases, the desired properties can be imparted and / or continued to the aluminum alloy product during subsequent processing, and the subsequent processing may include, for example, a rolling process, a solution heat treatment process, and / or an aging treatment process.

[0007] In an example, the method of this aspect may include: providing a rolled aluminum alloy product; subjecting the rolled aluminum alloy product to a rapid annealing process to produce an annealed aluminum alloy product; and subjecting the annealed aluminum alloy product to a quenching process to produce a quenched aluminum alloy product. Optionally, the rapid annealing process includes heating the rolled aluminum alloy product to a peak temperature of 400°C to 575°C at a rate of up to 100°C / s. Optionally, the quenching process includes cooling a portion of the annealed aluminum alloy at a rate of -500°C / s to -2°C / s.

[0008] As described above, additional processing may be performed after the rapid annealing and quenching process. For example, some methods of this aspect may include or may also include subjecting the quenched aluminum alloy product to a cold rolling process to produce a cold rolled aluminum alloy product. As another example, some methods of this aspect may include or may also include subjecting the aluminum alloy product to a solution heat treatment process. Optionally, the method of this aspect may also include subjecting the aluminum alloy product to one or more of a cutting process, a forming process, and an aging process.

[0009] The rolled aluminum alloy product used in the method of this aspect can be any suitable aluminum alloy product. For example, the rolled aluminum alloy product can be a hot rolled aluminum alloy product. Optionally, the thickness of the rolled aluminum alloy product is 1mm to 8mm. Optionally, the rolled aluminum alloy product can be a cold rolled aluminum alloy product. Optionally, the thickness of the rolled aluminum alloy product is 0.5mm to 5mm. Optionally, the rolled aluminum alloy product is at least partially unrecrystallized or completely unrecrystallized. Optionally, the aluminum alloy product annealed is at least partially recrystallized or completely recrystallized. In some examples, the rolled aluminum alloy product comprises a 6xxx series aluminum alloy or a 7xxx series aluminum alloy. In some examples, the rolled aluminum alloy product comprises a 2xxx series aluminum alloy or a 5xxx series aluminum alloy.

[0010] At or after quenching, the aluminum alloy product may include, contain or exhibit beneficial properties. In some examples, the presence of more or larger Mg2Si particles in the aluminum alloy product may result in a lower yield strength or reduced ultimate elongation, so it may be desirable to minimize or reduce the size of the Mg2Si particles in the product, such as by processing according to the method described herein. Optionally, the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits a yield stress of 70MPa to 160MPa. Optionally, the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits a total elongation of 20% to 30%. In some examples, the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an average Mg2Si particle size of less than 2μm. Optionally, the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an electrical conductivity of 40% IACS to 55% IACS. In some examples, electrical conductivity may be related to or associated with the amount of dissolved solutes (e.g., alloying elements) including Mg and Si in the aluminum alloy matrix, and therefore, a relatively low electrical conductivity may indicate that the amount of dissolved Mg and Si in the aluminum alloy product is relatively high, while the amount of Mg2Si particles is relatively low. More Mg and Si dissolved into the aluminum matrix may also result in a reduction in average grain size. Optionally, the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an average grain size of 10 μm to 35 μm.

[0011] In some examples, magnetic induction heating may be used for the rapid annealing process. Optionally, the rapid annealing process includes exposing the annealed aluminum alloy product to a quenching fluid after the heating process.

[0012] It should be understood that the rapid annealing process does not include a batch annealing process or a coil annealing process, such as the case where the entire coil of the rolled aluminum alloy is heated at the same time, such as in a furnace. Similarly, it should be understood that the quenching process does not include a batch cooling process or a coil cooling process, such as the case where the temperature of the entire coil of the rolled aluminum alloy is reduced from the heated temperature in an annealing furnace. In some examples, subjecting the rolled aluminum alloy product to a rapid annealing process includes unwinding the rolled aluminum alloy. In some examples, the rapid annealing process is a continuous heating process that heats only a portion of the rolled aluminum alloy product at a time. Optionally, the quenching process is a continuous cooling process that cools only a portion of the annealed aluminum alloy product at a time. In some examples, after the rapid annealing process and the quenching process, the rolled aluminum alloy is rewound. Optionally, the rapid annealing process includes passing the rolled aluminum alloy product through a heating system at a rate of 5m / min to 600m / min. Optionally, the quenching process includes passing the annealed aluminum alloy product through a quenching system at a rate of 5 m / min to 600 m / min.

[0013] The rapid annealing process described herein can be performed rapidly, such as within a few minutes or within tens of minutes. In some examples, the rolled aluminum alloy product is subjected to a temperature above 100°C for a maximum of 5 minutes during the rapid annealing process and the quenching process. Optionally, the method of this aspect may further include maintaining the rolled aluminum alloy product within 20°C of the peak temperature for up to 1 minute before the quenching process.

[0014] The present disclosure also provides an aluminum alloy product prepared according to the method described herein. In some examples, an aluminum alloy product includes: a formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product, the aluminum alloy sheet product includes a 5xxx series aluminum alloy, a 6xxx series aluminum alloy or a 7xxx series aluminum alloy, such as a formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product. The surface arithmetic mean height (Sa) is at most 10μm. Optionally, the thickness of the formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product can be 1.00mm to 3.5mm. In some examples, the formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product includes a 6xxx series aluminum alloy. Optionally, the formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product does not contain or substantially does not contain a surface ear band. In some examples, the formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product includes a 5xxx series aluminum alloy. Optionally, the formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product does not contain or substantially does not contain a surface Luders band.

[0015] Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description given by way of non-limiting example. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] This description refers to the following drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used in different drawings to illustrate the same or similar components.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic overview of an example method for producing a rolled aluminum alloy product is provided.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic summary of the temperatures of aluminum alloy products during production is provided.

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of rapid annealing and quenching of aluminum alloy products is provided.

[0020] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C , Figure 4D and Figure 4E Optical micrographs are provided comparing the grain structure of samples subjected to rapid annealing and quenching with samples subjected to batch annealing.

[0021] Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C , Figure 5Dand Figure 5E Optical micrographs are provided comparing the precipitated phases of samples subjected to rapid annealing and quenching with samples subjected to batch annealing.

[0022] Figure 6 Scanning electron microscopy images are provided comparing cross sections of samples rapidly annealed and quenched using different techniques.

[0023] Figure 7 Data showing the yield stress of samples subjected to rapid annealing and quenching as well as samples subjected to batch annealing are provided.

[0024] Figure 8 Data showing the total elongation for samples subjected to rapid annealing and quenching, as well as samples subjected to batch annealing, are provided.

[0025] Fig. 9 Optical micrographs of cross sections of samples subjected to rapid annealing and quenching as well as batch annealing are shown.

[0026] Fig.10 50 μm wide micrographs of samples subjected to rapid annealing and quenching or batch annealing are provided to show the number and size of precipitated phases.

[0027] Fig.11 Data showing the yield stress of annealed, cold rolled and solution heat treated samples after room temperature aging (T4 temper condition) and artificial aging / paint baking (T81 temper condition) are presented.

[0028] Fig.12 Data showing the total elongation of annealed, cold rolled and solution heat treated samples after room temperature aging (T4 temper condition) are presented.

[0029] Fig.13 The electrical conductivity results for samples of rolled aluminum alloy products subjected to rapid annealing and quenching are presented.

[0030] Fig.14A and Fig. 14B Microscopic images showing the through-thickness grain structure of samples annealed to different temperatures at different heating rates are provided.

[0031] Fig.15A and Fig. 15B Microscopic images of samples subjected to rapid annealing at different heating rates to different peak temperatures are provided to show the number and size of precipitated phases.

[0032] Fig.16 Conductivity data are presented for samples subjected to rapid annealing to different peak temperatures.

[0033] Fig.17Measured yield stresses of samples subjected to rapid annealing to different peak temperatures are provided.

[0034] Fig.18 The measured maximum axial strains of samples subjected to rapid annealing to different peak temperatures are provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] This article describes a method for preparing a rolled aluminum alloy product that can resist earing or Luders effect when stretched or formed. Earing is a series of ridges and valleys extending along the rolling direction when some aluminum alloys such as 6xxx series alloys or 7xxx series alloys are stretched in the transverse direction. These ridges and valleys make the formed or stretched aluminum alloy product have an undesirable surface appearance. Luders grain is another undesirable surface characteristic produced in some aluminum alloys such as 5xxx series alloys or other Mg-containing alloys, wherein during forming or stretching, dislocations can propagate in the aluminum lattice and produce Luders bands. The application provides a processing technology for rolled aluminum alloy products, which limits earing or Luders grain by subjecting the rolled aluminum alloy product to rapid annealing and quenching processes before one or more cold rolling processes.

[0036] The rapid annealing and quenching treatment described herein can replace the batch annealing that is often used to treat hot rolled aluminum alloy products before cold rolling, and can shorten the processing time before cold rolling. For example, batch annealing can take several hours (e.g., 20 hours or more) to process, and generally involves placing the coil of the hot rolled aluminum alloy product in a furnace, and heating the coil to the annealing temperature and maintaining it for a certain time, after which the coil is allowed to cool to ambient temperature. In contrast, the rapid annealing and quenching treatment described herein can process the coil of the hot rolled aluminum alloy product very quickly, such as in 1 hour or less. The rapid annealing and quenching treatment described herein can also or alternatively be used as an intermediate annealing process between cold rolling passes.

[0037] During the rapid annealing and quenching treatment (which can be considered as a continuous annealing and quenching process, or in some cases a semi-continuous annealing and quenching process), the material can be unwound (if it is coiled), passed through the rapid annealing system and the quenching system, and then optionally coiled again for subsequent processing. The rapid annealing process can heat the portion of the aluminum alloy product that passes through the rapid annealing system very quickly, such as within a few seconds to a few minutes, to the desired peak temperature. After this, the quenching process can cool the portion of the annealed aluminum alloy product that passes through the quenching system very quickly, such as within a few seconds to a few minutes. In contrast, the batch annealing process can take several hours to heat the aluminum coil from ambient temperature to the annealing temperature and / or cool the aluminum coil to ambient temperature. In general, the amount of time that any portion of the rolled aluminum alloy product is subjected to annealing and quenching treatment according to the process described herein can be as short as a few seconds or at most a few minutes (e.g., 10 minutes or less).

[0038] Rapid annealing and quenching treatments may bring about modifications in the properties of rolled aluminum alloy products that provide various strengthening effects. For example, rolled aluminum alloy products may at least partially undergo recrystallization, wherein during the annealing process, deformed aluminum grains are replaced by defect-free grains. In some examples, rolled aluminum alloy products may be at least partially unrecrystallized or completely unrecrystallized before rapid annealing and quenching, and / or may be at least partially recrystallized or completely recrystallized after rapid annealing and quenching. Rapid annealing and quenching processes may result in aluminum alloy products that have been annealed and quenched having a finer grain structure (e.g., a smaller average grain size) and a more uniform grain structure (e.g., a narrower grain size distribution) and different mechanical or strength properties than the aluminum alloy products before annealing and quenching. These properties may continue in subsequent cold rolling and other processing and continue into the final product.

[0039] In some examples, after rapid annealing and quenching, the aluminum alloy product may exhibit an average grain size of 10 μm to 35 μm, such as 10 μm to 15 μm, 15 μm to 20 μm, 20 μm to 25 μm, 25 μm to 30 μm, or 30 μm to 35 μm. In some examples, after rapid annealing and quenching, the aluminum alloy product may exhibit a yield stress of 70 MPa to 160 MPa, such as 70 MPa to 80 MPa, 80 MPa to 90 MPa, 90 MPa to 100 MPa, 100 MPa to 110 MPa, 110 MPa to 120 MPa, 120 MPa to 130 MPa, 130 MPa to 140 MPa, 140 MPa to 150 MPa, or 150 MPa to 160 MPa. In some examples, after rapid annealing and quenching, the aluminum alloy product may exhibit a total elongation of 20% to 30%, such as 20% to 21%, 21% to 22%, 22% to 23%, 23% to 24%, 24% to 25%, 25% to 26%, 26% to 27%, 27% to 28%, 28% to 29%, or 29% to 30%.

[0040] In addition, rapid annealing and quenching can be used to reduce the size of precipitation phases (such as, for example, Mg2Si particles) that may be present in the aluminum alloy product before annealing and quenching. With regard to hot-rolled aluminum alloy products, the precipitation phases may be very coarse, but after rapid annealing and quenching, a considerable amount, or even all or almost all of the precipitation phases will dissolve in the aluminum matrix, thereby affecting electrical conductivity and other properties (e.g., strength). Equally, these properties can be continued in subsequent cold rolling and other processing. In some cases, due to the reduced size of the precipitation phases compared to hot-rolled aluminum alloy products, the solution heat treatment process applied after cold rolling can be completed in a shorter amount of time, thereby allowing the production line speed of the solutionization process to be increased and the throughput to be increased.

[0041] In some examples, after rapid annealing and quenching, the aluminum alloy product may exhibit an average precipitated phase grain size (eg, Mg2Si grain size) of less than 2 μm, such as an equivalent circular diameter of less than 2 μm or a cross-sectional length of less than 2 μm. In some examples, the average precipitated phase particle size is 0.1 μm to 2 μm, such as 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm, 0.2 μm to 0.3 μm, 0.3 μm to 0.4 μm, 0.4 μm to 0.5 μm, 0.5 μm to 0.6 μm, 0.6 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 0.1 μm to 2 μm, 1.8 μm to 1.9 μm, or 1.9 μm to 2 μm. In some examples, after rapid annealing and quenching, the aluminum alloy product may exhibit an electrical conductivity of 40% IACS to 55% IACS, such as 40% IACS to 41% IACS, 41% IACS to 42% IACS, 42% IACS to 43% IACS, 43% IACS to 44% IACS, 44% IACS to 45% IACS, 45% IACS to 46% IACS, 46% IACS to 47% IACS, 47% IACS to 48% IACS, 48% IACS to 49% IACS, 49% IACS to 50% IACS, 50% IACS to 51% IACS, 51% IACS to 52% IACS, 52% IACS to 53% IACS, 53% IACS to 54% IACS, or 54% IACS to 55% IACS.

[0042] It should be understood that the rapid annealing and quenching process described herein is different from and does not generally include a batch annealing process, such as when the entire coil of a rolled aluminum product is subjected to annealing in a coiled configuration. As described above, the rapid annealing and quenching process has advantages over batch annealing, including faster annealing and cooling treatment times, and differences in grain and precipitated phase structures. In summary, rapid annealing and quenching treatments can be used to control various properties of aluminum alloy products while limiting, reducing or eliminating the earing or Luders effect that may otherwise occur when the processed aluminum alloy product is formed or stretched without rapid annealing and quenching treatments. For example, the surface arithmetic mean height (Sa) can provide a measure of the presence or absence of earing or Luders lines. The technology described herein can be used to produce aluminum alloy products, such as 5xxx series, 6xxx series or 7xxx series aluminum alloy thin plate products, which exhibit the following surface arithmetic mean height (Sa) after forming or stretching: at most 10μm, such as at most 0.5μm, at most 1μm, at most 2μm, at most 3μm, at most 4μm, at most 5μm, at most 6μm, at most 7μm, at most 8μm, at most 9μm or at most 10μm.

[0043] Definition and Description:

[0044] As used herein, the terms "invention," "the invention," "this invention," and "present invention" are intended to broadly refer to all subject matter of this patent application and the appended claims. Statements containing these terms should not be construed as limiting the subject matter described herein, or limiting the meaning or scope of the following patent claims.

[0045] In this specification, reference is made to alloys identified by AA numbers and other related designations such as "Series" or "7xxx". To understand the number designation system most commonly used to name and identify aluminum and its alloys, see "International Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Wrought Aluminum and Wrought Aluminum Alloys" or "Registration Record of Aluminum Association Alloy Designations and Chemical Compositions Limits for Aluminum Alloys in the Form of Castings and Ingot", both published by the Aluminum Association.

[0046] As used herein, the thickness of a plate is generally greater than about 15 mm. For example, a plate can refer to an aluminum product having a thickness greater than about 15 mm, greater than about 20 mm, greater than about 25 mm, greater than about 30 mm, greater than about 35 mm, greater than about 40 mm, greater than about 45 mm, greater than about 50 mm, or greater than about 100 mm.

[0047] As used herein, the thickness of the Saudi board (also referred to as a thin plate type board) is generally about 4 mm to about 15 mm. For example, the thickness of the Saudi board can be about 4 mm, about 5 mm, about 6 mm, about 7 mm, about 8 mm, about 9 mm, about 10 mm, about 11 mm, about 12 mm, about 13 mm, about 14 mm or about 15 mm.

[0048] As used herein, thin plate generally refers to an aluminum product having a thickness of less than about 4 mm. For example, the thickness of the thin plate may be less than about 4 mm, less than about 3 mm, less than about 2 mm, less than about 1 mm, less than about 0.5 mm, or less than about 0.3 mm (e.g., about 0.2 mm).

[0049] Reference may be made to alloy tempers or conditions in this application. To understand the most commonly used alloy state descriptions, please refer to "American National Standards (ANSI) H35 on Alloy and Temper Designation Systems". The F condition or state refers to the aluminum alloy as manufactured. The O condition or state refers to the aluminum alloy after annealing. The Hxx condition or state (also referred to as the H state in this article) refers to a non-heat-treatable aluminum alloy that has been subjected to or not subjected to heat treatment (e.g., annealing) after cold rolling. Suitable H conditions include HX1, HX2, HX3, HX4, HX5, HX6, HX7, HX8 or HX9 conditions. The T1 condition or state refers to an aluminum alloy that has been cooled from hot working and naturally aged (e.g., at room temperature). The T2 condition or state refers to an aluminum alloy that has been cooled from hot working, cold worked, and naturally aged. The T3 condition or state refers to an aluminum alloy that has been solution heat treated, cold worked, and naturally aged. The T4 condition or state refers to an aluminum alloy that has been solution heat treated and naturally aged. The T5 condition or state refers to aluminum alloys that have been cooled from hot working and artificially aged (at elevated temperatures). The T6 condition or state refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution heat treated and artificially aged. The T7 condition or state refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution heat treated and artificially aged. The T8x condition or state refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution heat treated, cold worked, and artificially aged. The T9 condition or state refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution heat treated, artificially aged, and cold worked. The W condition or state refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution heat treated.

[0050] As used herein, terms such as "cast metal product", "cast product", "cast aluminum alloy product" and the like are interchangeable and refer to products produced by direct chill casting (including direct chill co-casting) or semi-continuous casting, continuous casting (including, for example, by using a twin-belt caster, a twin-roll caster, a block caster or any other continuous casting machine), electromagnetic casting, hot top casting or any other casting method.

[0051] As used herein, "room temperature" may include a temperature from about 15° C. to about 30° C., such as about 15° C., about 16° C., about 17° C., about 18° C., about 19° C., about 20° C., about 21° C., about 22° C., about 23° C., about 24° C., about 25° C., about 26° C., about 27° C., about 28° C., about 29° C., or about 30° C. As used herein, "ambient conditions" may include a temperature of approximately room temperature, a relative humidity of about 20% to about 100%, and an atmospheric pressure of about 975 millibars (mbar) to about 1050 mbar. For example, the relative humidity can be about 20%, about 21%, about 22%, about 23%, about 24%, about 25%, about 26%, about 27%, about 28%, about 29%, about 30%, about 31%, about 32%, about 33%, about 34%, about 35%, about 36%, about 37%, about 38%, about 39%, about 40%, about 41%, about 42%, about 43%, about 44%, about 45%, about 46%, about 47%, about 48%, about 49%, about 50%, about 51%, about 52%, about 53%, about 54%, about 55%, about 56%, about 57%, about 58%, about 59%, about 60%, about 61%, about 62%, about 63%, about 64%, about 65%, about 66%, about 67%, about 68%, about 69%, about 70%, about 71%, about 72%, about 73%, about 74%, about 75%, about 76%, about 77%, about 78%, about 79%, about 80%, about 81%, about 82%, about 83%, about 84%, about 85%, about 86%, about 87%, about 88%, about 89%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, about 100%, about 101%, about 102%, about 103%, about 104%, about 105%, about 106%, about 107%, about 108%, about 109%, about 110%, about 111%, about 112%, about 113%, about 114%, about 115%, about 116%, about 87%, about 88%, about 89%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, about 100%, about 100%, about 101%, about 102%, about 103%, about 104%, about 105%, about 106%, about 107%, about 108%, about 109%, about 110%, about 111%, about 112%, about 113%, about 114%, about 115%, about 116%, about 117%, about 118%, about 119%, about 120%, about 121%, about 122%, about 123%, about 124%, about 125%, about 126%, about 127%, about 128%, about 129%, about 130%, about 131%, about 132%, about 133%, about 134%, about 135%, about 136%, about 137%, about 138%, about 139%, about 140%, about 141%, about 142%, about 143%, about 144%, about 145%, about 146%, about 147%, about 148%, about 149%, about 150%, about For example, the atmospheric pressure may be about 975 mbar, about 980 mbar, about 985 mbar, about 990 mbar, about 995 mbar, about 1000 mbar, about 1005 mbar, about 1010 mbar, about 1015 mbar, about 1020 mbar, about 1025 mbar, about 1030 mbar, about 1035 mbar, about 1040 mbar, about 1045 mbar, about 1050 mbar, or any value therebetween.

[0052] All ranges disclosed herein should be understood to encompass any and all subranges included therein. For example, a specified range of "1 to 10" should be considered to include any and all subranges between a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 10 (and including 1 and 10); that is, all subranges start with a minimum of 1 or greater (e.g., 1 to 6.1) and end with a maximum of 10 or less (e.g., 5.5 to 10). Unless otherwise stated, when referring to the composition amount of an element, the expression "up to" means that the element is optional and includes zero percent composition of the particular element. Unless otherwise stated, all composition percentages are weight percent (wt%).

[0053] As used herein, "a," "an," and "the" include both singular and plural references unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0054] In the following examples, aluminum alloy products and parts thereof may be described in terms of their elemental composition in weight percent (wt%). In each alloy, the remainder is aluminum, with a maximum wt% of 0.15% for the sum of all impurities.

[0055] Incidental elements, such as grain refiners and deoxidizers, or other additives may be present in the present invention and may themselves add other properties without departing from or significantly altering the alloys described herein or the properties of the alloys described herein.

[0056] Small amounts of unavoidable impurities, including materials or elements, may be present in the alloy due to the inherent properties of aluminum or leaching from contact with processing equipment. As described, some alloys may contain no more than about 0.25% by weight of any element other than alloying elements, incidental elements, and unavoidable impurities.

[0057] Methods for producing alloys and aluminum alloy products

[0058] The aluminum alloy products described herein can be prepared using suitable methods. For example, the aluminum alloy can be cast, homogenized, hot rolled, annealed, cold rolled, heat treated, formed or similarly processed to produce an aluminum alloy product.

[0059] Figure 1 An overview of an example method of making an aluminum alloy product is provided. Figure 1 The method begins at 105, where an aluminum alloy 106 is cast to form a cast aluminum alloy product 107, such as an ingot or other cast product. At 110, the cast aluminum alloy product 107 is homogenized to form a homogenized aluminum alloy product 111. At 115, the homogenized aluminum alloy product 111 is subjected to one or more hot rolling passes. The hot rolled aluminum alloy product may optionally be coiled and subjected to a batch annealing process ( Figure 1At 120, the hot rolled aluminum alloy product is subjected to one or more cold rolling passes to form a rolled aluminum alloy product 112, which may correspond to an aluminum alloy article such as an aluminum alloy plate, an aluminum alloy slat, or an aluminum alloy sheet. As described in more detail herein, a rapid annealing and quenching process may be applied to the hot rolled aluminum alloy product prior to cold rolling or between multiple cold rolling steps, and Figure 1 Such processing is not shown in . Optionally, the rolled aluminum alloy product 112 is subjected to additional processing steps as described below to form an aluminum alloy article.

[0060] Non-limiting examples of casting processes include direct chill (DC) casting processes or continuous casting (CC) processes. For example, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a DC casting process is depicted at 105, but other casting processes may be used. A continuous casting system may include a pair of moving opposing casting surfaces (e.g., moving opposing belts, rollers, or blocks), a casting cavity between the pair of moving opposing casting surfaces, and a molten metal injector. The molten metal injector may have an end opening from which the molten metal may exit the molten metal injector and be injected into the casting cavity.

[0061] Cast aluminum alloy products such as ingots, billets or other cast products can be processed by any desired technique. Optionally, a processing step can be used to produce a rolled aluminum alloy product, such as aluminum alloy sheet. Example optional processing steps include, but are not limited to, homogenization, hot rolling, cold rolling, annealing, solution heat treatment, and pre-aging.

[0062] In the homogenization step, the cast product may be heated to a temperature in the range of about 400°C to about 600°C. For example, the cast product may be heated to a temperature of about 400°C, about 410°C, about 420°C, about 430°C, about 440°C, about 450°C, about 460°C, about 470°C, about 480°C, about 490°C, about 500°C, about 510°C, about 520°C, about 530°C, about 540°C, about 550°C, about 560°C, about 570°C, about 580°C, about 590°C, or about 600°C. The product may then be allowed to soak (i.e., remain at a specified temperature) for a period of time to form a homogenized product. In some examples, the total time of the homogenization step (including the heating and soaking stages) may be up to 24 hours. For example, in a homogenization step with a total time of up to 18 hours, the product may be heated to up to 500°C to 600°C and soaked. Optionally, in a homogenization step with a total time of more than 18 hours, the product may be heated to less than 490°C and homogenized. In some cases, the homogenization step includes multiple processes. In some non-limiting examples, the homogenization step includes heating the cast product to a first temperature for a first period of time, and then heating to a second temperature for a second period of time. For example, the cast product may be heated to about 465°C for about 3.5 hours, and then heated to about 480°C for about 6 hours.

[0063] After the homogenization step, a hot rolling step may optionally be performed. Before starting the hot rolling, the homogenized product may be allowed to cool to a temperature between 300° C. and 450° C. For example, the homogenized product may be allowed to cool to a temperature between 325° C. and 425° C. or from 350° C. to 400° C. The homogenized product may then be hot rolled at a temperature between 300°C and 450°C to form a hot rolled plate, hot rolled satur plate or hot rolled sheet having a specification between 3 mm and 200 mm (e.g., 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, 55 mm, 60 mm, 65 mm, 70 mm, 75 mm, 80 mm, 85 mm, 90 mm, 95 mm, 100 mm, 110 mm, 120 mm, 130 mm, 140 mm, 150 mm, 160 mm, 170 mm, 180 mm, 190 mm, 200 mm or any value therebetween).

[0064] Optionally, the cast product may be a continuously cast product that may be allowed to cool to a temperature between 300° C. and 450° C. For example, the continuously cast product may be allowed to cool to a temperature between 325° C. and 425° C. or from 350° C. to 400° C. The continuously cast product may then be hot rolled at a temperature between 300° C. and 450° C. to form a hot rolled plate, hot rolled satur plate or hot rolled sheet having a specification between 3 mm and 200 mm (e.g., 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, 55 mm, 60 mm, 65 mm, 70 mm, 75 mm, 80 mm, 85 mm, 90 mm, 95 mm, 100 mm, 110 mm, 120 mm, 130 mm, 140 mm, 150 mm, 160 mm, 170 mm, 180 mm, 190 mm, 200 mm or any value therebetween). During hot rolling, temperature and other operating parameters may be controlled so that the temperature of the hot rolled intermediate product exiting the hot rolling mill does not exceed about 470°C, about 450°C, about 440°C, or about 430°C.

[0065] Optionally, a cold rolling mill may be used to cold roll a cast, homogenized or hot rolled product into a thinner product, such as a cold rolled sheet. The specification of the cold rolled product may be between about 0.5 and 10 mm, for example, between about 0.7 and 6.5 mm. Optionally, the cold rolled product may have the following specifications: 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.0 mm, 3.5 mm, 4.0 mm, 4.5 mm, 5.0 mm, 5.5 mm, 6.0 mm, 6.5 mm, 7.0 mm, 7.5 mm, 8.0 mm, 8.5 mm, 9.0 mm, 9.5 mm or 10.0 mm. Cold rolling may be performed to obtain a final gauge thickness that represents a gauge reduction of up to 85% (e.g., a reduction of up to 10%, up to 20%, up to 30%, up to 40%, up to 50%, up to 60%, up to 70%, up to 80%, or up to 85%) compared to the gauge before cold rolling began. Optionally, an intermediate annealing step may be performed during the cold rolling step, such as applying a first cold rolling process, followed by an annealing process (intermediate annealing), and then a second cold rolling process. The intermediate annealing step may be performed at a temperature of about 300°C to about 450°C (e.g., about 310°C, about 320°C, about 330°C, about 340°C, about 350°C, about 360°C, about 370°C, about 380°C, about 390°C, about 400°C, about 410°C, about 420°C, about 430°C, about 440°C, or about 450°C). In some cases, the intermediate annealing step includes multiple processes. In some non-limiting examples, the intermediate annealing step includes heating the partially cold rolled product to a first temperature for a first period of time and then heating to a second temperature for a second period of time. For example, the partially cold rolled product may be heated to about 410° C. for about 1 hour and then heated to about 330° C. for about 2 hours. Other intermediate annealing treatments may be applied, such as rapid annealing and quenching, as described elsewhere in this application.

[0066] Subsequently, the cast, homogenized or rolled product may optionally be subjected to a solution heat treatment step. The solution heat treatment step may be any suitable treatment of the product that results in the solubilization of soluble particles. The cast, homogenized or rolled product may be heated to a peak metal temperature (PMT) of up to 590°C (e.g., 400°C to 590°C) and soaked for a period of time at the PMT to form a hot product. For example, the cast, homogenized or rolled product may be soaked at 480°C for up to 30 minutes (e.g., 0 seconds, 60 seconds, 75 seconds, 90 seconds, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes or 30 minutes) of soaking time. After heating and soaking, the hot product is rapidly cooled to a temperature between 500°C and 200°C at a rate greater than 200°C / second to form a heat-treated product. In one example, the hot product is cooled to a temperature between 450°C and 200°C at a quenching rate greater than 200°C / second. Optionally, in other cases, the cooling rate may be faster. Optionally, in other cases, the temperature may be lower. In one example, the hot product is cooled to a temperature between 450°C and 200°C at a quench rate greater than 200°C / second.

[0067] After quenching, the heat treated product may optionally be subjected to a pre-aging treatment by reheating before coiling. The pre-aging treatment may be performed at a temperature of about 70°C to about 125°C for a period of up to 6 hours. For example, the pre-aging treatment may be performed at a temperature of about 70°C, about 75°C, about 80°C, about 85°C, about 90°C, about 95°C, about 100°C, about 105°C, about 110°C, about 115°C, about 120°C, or about 125°C. Optionally, the pre-aging treatment may be performed for about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 2 hours, about 3 hours, about 4 hours, about 5 hours, or about 6 hours. The pre-aging treatment may be performed by passing the heat treated product through a heating device, such as a device that emits radiant heat, convection heat, induction heat, infrared heat, etc.

[0068] Cast products described herein can be used to manufacture products or other suitable products in the form of thin plates, plates. For example, the plate comprising products as described herein can be prepared in the following manner: in a homogenization step, ingots are processed or cast products are cast in a continuous casting machine, followed by a hot rolling step. In the hot rolling step, the cast products can be hot rolled to a specification of 200 mm thick or less (for example, about 10 mm to about 200 mm). For example, the cast products can be hot rolled into a plate with the following final specification thickness: about 10 mm to about 175 mm, about 15 mm to about 150 mm, about 20 mm to about 125 mm, about 25 mm to about 100 mm, about 30 mm to about 75 mm, or about 35 mm to about 50 mm. In some cases, the plate can be rolled into a thinner metal product, such as a thin plate.

[0069] Methods of using the disclosed aluminum alloy products

[0070] The aluminum alloy products described herein can be used in automotive applications and other transportation applications, including aircraft and railroad applications. For example, the disclosed aluminum alloy products can be used to prepare automotive structural parts, such as bumpers, side beams, roof beams, cross beams, pillar reinforcements (e.g., A-pillars, B-pillars, and C-pillars), inner panels, outer panels, side panels, inner covers, outer covers, or trunk lid panels. The aluminum alloy products and methods described herein can also be used in aircraft or railroad vehicle applications to prepare, for example, exterior and interior panels.

[0071] The aluminum alloy products and methods described herein can also be used in electronic applications. For example, the aluminum alloy products and methods described herein can be used to prepare housings for electronic devices including mobile phones and tablet computers. In some examples, the aluminum alloy products can be used to prepare housings for mobile phones (e.g., smart phones), tablet chassis, and other portable electronic devices.

[0072] Methods for processing metals and metal alloys

[0073] Methods for processing metals and metal alloys (including aluminum, aluminum alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, magnesium composite materials and steel, etc.) and the resulting processed metals and metal alloys are described herein. In some examples, the metal used in the method described herein includes an aluminum alloy, such as a 1xxx series aluminum alloy, a 2xxx series aluminum alloy, a 3xxx series aluminum alloy, a 4xxx series aluminum alloy, a 5xxx series aluminum alloy, a 6xxx series aluminum alloy, a 7xxx series aluminum alloy or an 8xxx series aluminum alloy. In some examples, the material used in the method described herein includes a non-ferrous metal material, including aluminum, aluminum alloys, magnesium, magnesium-based materials, magnesium alloys, magnesium composite materials, titanium, titanium-based materials, titanium alloys, copper, copper-based materials, composite materials, thin plates used in composite materials, or any other suitable metal, non-metal or material combination. Monolithic materials and non-monolithic materials (such as rolled bonded materials, coated alloys, coatings, composite materials such as but not limited to materials containing carbon fibers) or various other materials may also be used with the method described herein. In some examples, an aluminum alloy containing iron may be used with the method described herein.

[0074] By way of non-limiting example, exemplary 1xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein may include AA1100, AA1100A, AA1200, AA1200A, AA1300, AA1110, AA1120, AA1230, AA1230A, AA1235, AA1435, AA1145, AA1345, AA1445, AA1150, AA1350, AA1350A, AA1450, AA1370, AA1275, AA1185, AA1285, AA1385, AA1188, AA1190, AA1290, AA1193, AA1198, or AA1199.

[0075] Non-limiting exemplary 2xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein may include AA2001, AA2002, AA2004, AA2005, AA2006, AA2007, AA2007A, AA2007B, AA2008, AA2009, AA2010, AA2011, AA2011A, AA2111, AA2111A, AA2111B, AA2012, AA2013, AA2014, AA2015, AA2016, AA2017, AA2018, AA2019, AA2020, AA2021 A2014A, AA2214, AA2015, AA2016, AA2017, AA2017A, AA2117, AA2018, AA2218, AA2618, AA2618A, AA2219, AA2319, AA2419, AA2519, AA2021, AA2022, AA2023, AA2024, AA2024A, AA2124, AA2224, AA2224A, AA2324, A A2424, AA2524, AA2624, AA2724, AA2824, AA2025, AA2026, AA2027, AA2028, AA2028A, AA2028B, AA2028C, AA2029, AA2030, AA2031, AA2032, AA2034, AA2036, AA2037, AA2038, AA2039, AA2139, AA2040, AA2041, AA 2044, AA2045, AA2050, AA2055, AA2056, AA2060, AA2065, AA2070, AA2076, AA2090, AA2091, AA2094, AA20 95, AA2195, AA2295, AA2196, AA2296, AA2097, AA2197, AA2297, AA2397, AA2098, AA2198, AA2099 or AA2199.

[0076] Non-limiting exemplary 3xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein may include AA3002, AA3102, AA3003, AA3103, AA3103A, AA3103B, AA3203, AA3403, AA3004, AA3004A, AA3104, AA3204, AA3304, AA3005, AA3005A, AA3105, AA3105A, AA3105B, AA3203, AA3403, AA3004, AA3004A, AA3104, AA3204, AA3304, AA3005 AA3007, AA3107, AA3207, AA3207A, AA3307, AA3009, AA3010, AA3110, AA3011, AA3012, AA3012A, AA3013, AA3014, AA3015, AA3016, AA3017, AA3019, AA3020, AA3021, AA3025, AA3026, AA3030, AA3130, or AA3065.

[0077] Non-limiting exemplary 4xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein may include AA4045, AA4004, AA4104, AA4006, AA4007, AA4008, AA4009, AA4010, AA4013, AA4014, AA4015, AA4015A, AA4115, AA4016, AA4017, AA4018, AA4019, AA4020, AA4021, AA4026, AA4032, AA4043, AA4043A, AA4143, AA4343, AA4643, AA4943, AA4044, AA4145, AA4145A, AA4046, AA4047, AA4047A, or AA4147.

[0078] Non-limiting exemplary 5xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein may include AA5182, AA5183, AA5005, AA5005A, AA5205, AA5305, AA5505, AA5605, AA5006, AA5106, AA5010, AA5110, AA5110A, AA5210, AA5310, AA5016, AA5017, AA5018, AA5018A, AA5019, AA5019A, AA5119 ... A5119A, AA5021, AA5022, AA5023, AA5024, AA5026, AA5027, AA5028, AA5040, AA5140, AA5041, AA5042, AA5043, AA504 9. AA5149, AA5249, AA5349, AA5449, AA5449A, AA5050, AA5050A, AA5050C, AA5150, AA5051, AA5051A, AA5151, AA5251, AA5251A, AA5351, AA5451, AA5052, AA5252, AA5352, AA5154, AA5154A, AA5154B, AA5154C, AA5254, AA5354, AA5454, A A5554, AA5654, AA5654A, AA5754, AA5854, AA5954, AA5056, AA5356, AA5356A, AA5456, AA5456A, AA5456B, AA5556, AA5 556A, AA5556B, AA5556C, AA5257, AA5457, AA5557, AA5657, AA5058, AA5059, AA5070, AA5180, AA5180A, AA5082, AA51 82. AA5083, AA5183, AA5183A, AA5283, AA5283A, AA5283B, AA5383, AA5483, AA5086, AA5186, AA5087, AA5187 or AA5088.

[0079] Non-limiting exemplary 6xxx series alloys for use in the methods described herein may include AA6101, AA6101A, AA6101B, AA6201, AA6201A, AA6401, AA6501, AA6002, AA6003, AA6103, AA6005, AA6005A, AA6005B, AA6005C, AA6105, AA6205, AA6305, AA6006, AA6106, AA6206, AA6306 ... 6008, AA6009, AA6010, AA6110, AA6110A, AA6011, AA6111, AA6012, AA6012A, AA6013, AA6113, AA6014, AA6015, AA6 016, AA6016A, AA6116, AA6018, AA6019, AA6020, AA6021, AA6022, AA6023, AA6024, AA6025, AA6026, AA6027, AA602 8. AA6031, AA6032, AA6033, AA6040, AA6041, AA6042, AA6043, AA6151, AA6351, AA6351A, AA6451, AA6951, AA6053 ,AA6055,AA6056,AA6156,AA6060,AA6160,AA6260,AA6360,AA6460,AA6460B,AA6560,AA6660,AA6061,AA6061A, AA6261, AA6361, AA6162, AA6262, AA6262A, AA6063, AA6063A, AA6463, AA6463A, AA6763, AA6963, AA6064, AA6064A, AA6065, AA6066, AA6068, AA6069, AA6070, AA6081, AA6181, AA6181A, AA6082, AA6082A, AA6182, AA6091, or AA6092.

[0080] Non-limiting exemplary 7xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein may include AA7011, AA7019, AA7020, AA7021, AA7039, AA7072, AA7075, AA7085, AA7108, AA7108A, AA7015, AA7017, AA7018, AA7019A, AA7024, AA7025, AA7028 ,AA7030,AA7031,AA7033,AA7035,AA7035A,AA7046,AA7046A,AA7003,AA7004,AA7005,AA70 09. AA7010, AA7011, AA7012, AA7014, AA7016, AA7116, AA7122, AA7023, AA7026, AA7029, AA71 29. AA7229, AA7032, AA7033, AA7034, AA7036, AA7136, AA7037, AA7040, AA7140, AA7041, AA7 049, AA7049A, AA7149, AA7204, AA7249, AA7349, AA7449, AA7050, AA7050A, AA7150, AA7250, A AA7055, AA7155, AA7255, AA7056, AA7060, AA7064, AA7065, AA7068, AA7168, AA7175, AA7475, AA7076, AA7178, AA7278, AA7278A, AA7081, AA7181, AA7185, AA7090, AA7093, AA7095, or AA7099.

[0081] Non-limiting exemplary 8xxx series aluminum alloys for use in the methods described herein may include AA8005, AA8006, AA8007, AA8008, AA8010, AA8011, AA8011A, AA8111, AA8211, AA8112, AA8014, AA8015, AA8016, AA8017, AA8018, AA8019, AA8020, AA8021A, AA8022, AA8023, AA8024, AA8025, AA8026, AA8027, AA8028, AA8029, AA8030, AA8031, AA8032, AA8033, AA8034, AA8035, AA8036, AA8037, AA8038, AA8039, AA8040, AA8041, AA8042, AA8043, AA8044, AA8045, AA8046, AA8047, AA8048, AA8049, AA8050, AA8051 1. AA8021A, AA8021B, AA8022, AA8023, AA8024, AA8025, AA8026, AA8030, AA8130, AA8040, AA8050, AA8150, AA8076, AA8076A, AA8176, AA8077, AA8177, AA8079, AA8090, AA8091, or AA8093.

[0082] Figure 2A graph is provided showing example temperatures of a cast aluminum alloy product during various stages of a manufacturing process according to some embodiments. As part of the initial casting stage 205, in which the molten aluminum alloy is formed into an ingot, cast article, or other solid object or metal product, the molten aluminum alloy may be cooled and / or solidified by a process that involves quenching or cooling the metal by exposing the aluminum alloy to water or an aqueous solution, such as in a direct chill casting process or in a continuous casting process that includes quenching immediately after casting.

[0083] After the casting stage 205, the aluminum alloy product may be subjected to a homogenization process 210, wherein the aluminum alloy is heated to a temperature below the melting or solidus temperature. Optionally, the aluminum alloy product is heated to a temperature at which the base aluminum metal and any alloying elements form a solid solution.

[0084] After the homogenization process 210, the aluminum alloy product may be exposed to one or more processes that may, for example, form a desired microstructure within the aluminum alloy product while elongating the aluminum alloy product. Such processes may correspond to, for example, hot rolling 215 and / or cold rolling 230, such as to form a slab, plate, or sheet from an aluminum alloy ingot or other cast article or aluminum alloy product.

[0085] In some embodiments, exposing the aluminum alloy product at an elevated temperature to a solution, such as water, an aqueous solution, or a vapor phase solution, during the quenching or cooling process can be used to reduce the temperature of the aluminum alloy product to a desired or useful temperature for subsequent processing. For example, exposing the aluminum alloy product to water or an aqueous solution can be used to cool the aluminum alloy product between the hot rolling process 215 and the cold rolling process 230.

[0086] After the hot rolling process 215 and / or the optional cold rolling process 220, the aluminum alloy product may be subjected to a rapid annealing and quenching process 225, in which the aluminum alloy product is rapidly heated to a peak temperature and optionally maintained at or near the peak temperature for a short duration, and then rapidly cooled to produce an annealed aluminum alloy product in which the aluminum alloy grains are at least partially recrystallized. It should be understood that in some cases, the optional cold rolling process 220 is not used, but rather the aluminum alloy product is subjected to a rapid annealing and quenching process 225 after the hot rolling process 215, optionally without allowing the aluminum alloy product to fully return to ambient temperature and before any cold rolling. In some examples, the optional cold rolling process 220 is performed at ambient temperature or room temperature or a temperature above ambient temperature or room temperature. In some examples, the aluminum alloy product is at ambient temperature or room temperature or a temperature above ambient temperature or room temperature before the rapid annealing and quenching process 225. For example, after hot rolling, the aluminum alloy product may not be fully cooled to ambient or room temperature, or may be heated by the cold rolling process 220, or the cold rolling process 220 may be performed at a temperature above ambient or room temperature. In the case where the aluminum alloy product is at a temperature above ambient or room temperature, this may result in less heat having to be added to the aluminum alloy product during the rapid annealing and quenching process 225 to achieve the target annealing temperature than if the aluminum alloy product was at ambient or room temperature.

[0087] After the rapid annealing and quenching process 225, the aluminum alloy product is subjected to a cold rolling process 230. Further details of the rapid annealing and quenching process 225 are described herein. When the optional cold rolling process 220 is used, a second rapid annealing and quenching process may optionally be used, such as before the optional cold rolling process 220. In some examples, the cold rolling process 230 is performed at ambient or room temperature or at a temperature above ambient or room temperature.

[0088] A variety of different peak temperatures can be used for the rapid annealing process described herein. Generally, a peak temperature of 400°C to 575°C can be used. Optionally, the peak temperature can be 400°C to 405°C, 405°C to 410°C, 410°C to 415°C, 415°C to 420°C, 420°C to 425°C, 425°C to 430°C, 430°C to 435°C, 435°C to 440°C, 440°C to 445°C, 445°C to 450°C, 450°C to 455°C, 455°C to 460°C, 460°C to 465°C, 465°C to 470°C, 470°C to 475°C, 475°C to 480°C, 480°C To 485° C., 485° C. to 490° C., 490° C. to 495° C., 495° C. to 500° C., 505° C. to 510° C., 510° C. to 515° C., 515° C. to 520° C., 520° C. to 525° C., 525° C. to 530° C., 530° C. to 535° C., 535° C. to 540° C., 540° C. to 545° C., 545° C. to 550° C., 550° C. to 555° C., 555° C. to 460° C., 560° C. to 465° C., 565° C. to 570° C., or 570° C. to 575° C. It will be appreciated that the peak temperature used may be different for different aluminum alloys.

[0089] The aluminum alloy product may optionally be subjected to a solution heat treatment process 235, wherein the temperature of the aluminum alloy product is raised to a temperature above a threshold temperature, such as a temperature at which precipitated components in the aluminum alloy product dissolve into a solid solution, and maintained above the threshold temperature for a period of time. At the end of the solution heat treatment process 235, the aluminum alloy product may be subjected to a quenching process 240, wherein the dissolved components are fixed in place by rapidly reducing the temperature of the aluminum alloy via the quenching process. Such a quenching process 240 may involve exposing the aluminum alloy product to a solution, such as a quenching solution, an aqueous solution, or a gaseous solution comprising water. In some examples, the rapid annealing and quenching process 225 may allow the retention time during the solution heat treatment process 235 to be reduced compared to the solution heat treatment of the aluminum alloy product that has not been subjected to the rapid annealing and quenching process 225.

[0090] In an implementation scheme, Figure 2 The processes outlined in may be performed separately or as part of one or more continuous processing lines, wherein the aluminum alloy product may be conveyed in the form of a coil, film, or web of material between the various processing stages. For example, the aluminum alloy product may be conveyed between the various stages by rolling the aluminum alloy product on or between one or more rollers (which may be under tension) or by conveying the aluminum alloy product on one or more conveyors. In addition, other stages not explicitly identified may be included in Figure 2Before, between and / or after any stage identified in. Other example stages include, but are not limited to, a washing stage, a chemical treatment stage, or a finishing stage. As an example, the finishing stage may correspond to a surface anodizing stage, a powder coating stage, a painting stage, a printing stage, etc. Other example stages include cutting, blanking, and forming processes. In some cases, the alloy product can be transported between stages by: rolling the aluminum alloy product into a coil, transporting the coil to a subsequent processing stage, and unwinding the aluminum alloy product for subsequent processing.

[0091] Figure 3A schematic diagram of an example rapid annealing and quenching system 300 for processing an aluminum alloy product 305 is provided. The aluminum alloy product 305 may include any suitable aluminum alloy product, such as a hot rolled aluminum alloy product or a cold rolled aluminum alloy product. The aluminum alloy product 305 may include any aluminum alloy described herein, but may specifically include a 2xxx series aluminum alloy, a 5xxx series aluminum alloy, a 6xxx series aluminum alloy, or a 7xxx series aluminum alloy. The aluminum alloy product 305 may have any suitable thickness, such as a thickness of 1 mm to 8 mm, or a thickness of 0.5 mm to 5 mm.In some examples, the thickness of the aluminum alloy product is 1.0 mm to 1.1 mm, 1.1 mm to 1.2 mm, 1.2 mm to 1.3 mm, 1.3 mm to 1.4 mm, 1.4 mm to 1.5 mm, 1.5 mm to 1.6 mm, 1.6 mm to 1.7 mm, 1.7 mm to 1.8 mm, 1.8 mm to 1.9 mm, 1.9 mm to 2.0 mm, 2.0 mm to 2.1 mm, 2.1 mm to 2.2 mm, 2.2 mm to 2.3 mm, 2.3 mm to 2.4 mm, 2.4 mm to 2.5 mm, 2.5 mm to 2.6 mm, 2.6 mm to 2.7mm, 2.7mm to 2.8mm, 2.8mm to 2.9mm, 2.9mm to 3.0mm, 3.0mm to 3.1mm, 3.1mm to 3.2mm, 3.2mm to 3.3mm, 3.3mm to 3.4mm, 3.4mm to 3.5mm, 3.5mm to 3.6mm, 3.6mm to 3.7mm, 3.7mm to 3.8mm, 3.8mm to 3.9mm, 3.9mm to 4.0mm, 4.0mm to 4.1mm, 4.1mm to 4.2mm, 4.2mm to 4.3mm, 4.3mm to 4.4mm, 4.4mm m to 4.5mm, 4.5mm to 4.6mm, 4.6mm to 4.7mm, 4.7mm to 4.8mm, 4.8mm to 4.9mm, 4.9mm to 5.0mm, 5.0mm to 5.1mm, 5.1mm to 5.2mm, 5.2mm to 5.3mm, 5.3mm to 5.4mm, 5.4mm to 5.5mm, 5.5mm to 5.6mm, 5.6mm to 5.7mm, 5.7mm to 5.8mm, 5.8mm to 5.9mm, 5.9mm to 6.0mm, 6.0mm to 6.1mm, 6.1mm to 6.2mm, 6. 2mm to 6.3mm, 6.3mm to 6.4mm, 6.4mm to 6.5mm, 6.5mm to 6.6mm, 6.6mm to 6.7mm, 6.7mm to 6.8mm, 6.8mm to 6.9mm, 6.9mm to 7.0mm, 7.0mm to 7.1mm, 7.1mm to 7.2mm, 7.2mm to 7.3mm, 7.3mm to 7.4mm, 7.4mm to 7.5mm, 7.5mm to 7.6mm, 7.6mm to 7.7mm, 7.7mm to 7.8mm, 7.8mm to 7.9mm or 7.9mm to 8.0mm.

[0092] The rapid annealing and quenching system 300 may include separate annealing systems 310 and quenching systems 315, or the annealing system and quenching system may be combined. The rapid annealing system 310 may include any suitable annealing system that can raise the temperature of the aluminum alloy product to a peak temperature at a rapid rate, such as at a rate of up to about 100°C / s. Example heating rates that can be used for the rapid annealing system include 1°C / s to 5°C / s, 5°C / s to 10°C / s, 10°C / s to 15°C / s, 15°C / s to 20°C / s, 20°C / s to 25°C / s, 25°C / s to 30°C / s, 30°C / s to 35°C / s, 35°C / s to 40°C / s, 40°C / s to 45°C / s, 45°C / s To 50°C / s, 50°C / s to 55°C / s, 55°C / s to 60°C / s, 60°C / s to 65°C / s, 65°C / s to 70°C / s, 70°C / s to 75°C / s, 75°C / s to 80°C / s, 80°C / s to 85°C / s, 85°C / s to 90°C / s, 90°C / s to 95°C / s or 95°C / s to 100°C / s. In some cases, a heating rate higher than 100°C / s may be used. In one example, the rapid annealing system 310 may include a series of permanent magnet rotors 320 for heating the aluminum alloy product 305 by magnetic induction heating. The permanent magnet rotors 320 may be provided in any suitable arrangement of a single permanent magnet rotor 320 or a pair of permanent magnet rotors 320. Further details of an exemplary magnetic rotor-based magnetic induction heating system are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0091263, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0093] The quenching system 315 may include any suitable quenching system that can reduce the temperature of the aluminum alloy product at a rapid rate, such as at a rate of about -500°C / s to about -2°C / s. Example cooling rates that can be used for the quenching system include -2°C / s to -5°C / s, -5°C / s to -10°C / s, -10°C / s to -15°C / s, -15°C / s to -20°C / s, -20°C / s to -25°C / s, -25°C / s to -30°C / s, -30°C / s to -35°C / s, -35°C / s to -40°C / s, -40°C / s to -45°C / s. s, -45℃ / s to -50℃ / s, -50℃ / s to -55℃ / s, -55℃ / s to -60℃ / s, -60℃ / s to -65℃ / s, -65℃ / s to -70℃ / s, -70℃ / s to -75℃ / s, -75℃ / s to -80℃ / s, -80℃ / s to -85℃ / s, -85℃ / s to -90℃ / s, -90℃ / s to -95 ℃ / s, -95℃ / s to -100℃ / s, -100℃ / s to -125℃ / s, -125℃ / s to -150℃ / s, -150℃ / s to -175℃ / s, -175℃ / s to -200℃ / s, -200℃ / s to -225℃ / s, -225℃ / s to -250℃ / s, -150℃ / s to -275℃ / s, -275℃ / s s to -300°C / s, -300°C / s to -325°C / s, -325°C / s to -350°C / s, -350°C / s to -375°C / s, -375°C / s to -400°C / s, -400°C / s to -425°C / s, -425°C / s to -450°C / s, -450°C / s to -475°C / s or -475°C / s to -500°C / s. In some cases, a cooling rate lower than -500°C / s may be used. As used herein, a cooling rate of -5°C / s means that the temperature of the aluminum alloy product drops by 5°C in one second. In one example, the quenching system 315 may include a series of spray nozzles 325 for applying a quenching fluid to the aluminum alloy product 305. Example quenching fluids may include gas, air, water, an aqueous solution, oil or other suitable quenching fluids.

[0094] Optionally, a holding area can be positioned between the rapid annealing system 310 and the quenching system 315. The holding area can include any suitable area that maintains the temperature of the aluminum alloy product 305 at or near the peak temperature achieved in the rapid annealing system 310, such as within 20°C of the peak temperature. The holding area can maintain the temperature of the aluminum alloy product 305 at or near the peak temperature for, for example, 1 minute. Example holding times include 0 seconds to 5 seconds, 5 seconds to 10 seconds, 10 seconds to 15 seconds, 15 seconds to 20 seconds, 20 seconds to 25 seconds, 25 seconds to 30 seconds, 30 seconds to 35 seconds, 35 seconds to 40 seconds, 40 seconds to 45 seconds, 45 seconds to 50 seconds, 50 seconds to 55 seconds, or 55 seconds to 1 minute. In some cases, a holding time of more than 1 minute may be applied.

[0095] In some examples, the rapid heating and quenching system 300 can be used to anneal and quench the aluminum alloy product 305 very quickly, such as in 5 minutes or less. For example, a portion of the aluminum alloy product 305 can enter the rapid annealing system 310, exit the rapid annealing system 310, enter the quenching system 315, and exit the quenching system 315 in 5 minutes or less. In some cases, any portion of the aluminum alloy product is subjected to a temperature greater than or about 100° C. for a maximum of 5 minutes during rapid annealing and quenching. In some examples, these times can be 5 seconds to 5 minutes, such as 15 seconds to 30 seconds, 30 seconds to 45 seconds, 45 seconds to 1 minute, 1 minute to 1.25 minutes, 1.25 minutes to 1.5 minutes, 1.5 minutes to 1.75 minutes, 1.75 minutes to 2 minutes, 2 minutes to 2.25 minutes, 2.25 minutes to 2.5 minutes, 2.5 minutes to 2.75 minutes, 2.75 minutes to 3 minutes, 3 minutes to 3.25 minutes, 3.25 minutes to 3.5 minutes, 3.5 minutes to 3.75 minutes, 3.75 minutes to 4 minutes, 4 minutes to 4.25 minutes, 4.25 minutes to 4.5 minutes, 4.5 minutes to 4.75 minutes, or 4.75 minutes to 5 minutes. The total time to process all of the aluminum alloy products 305 can depend on the rate at which the aluminum alloy products 305 pass through the rapid annealing and quenching system 300 and the length of the aluminum alloy products. In some examples, the aluminum alloy product 305 can pass through the rapid annealing and / or quenching system 300 at a rate of 5 m / min to 600 m / min, such as 10 m / min to 20 m / min, 20 m / min to 30 m / min, 30 m / min to 40 m / min, 40 m / min to 50 m / min, 50 m / min to 60 m / min, 60 m / min to 70 m / min, 70 m / min to 80 m / min, 80 m / min to 90 m / min, 90 m / min to 100 m / min, 100 m / min to 110 m / min, 110 m / min to 120 m / min, 120 m / min to 130 m / min, 130 m / min to 140 m / min, m / min, 140 m / min to 150 m / min, 150 m / min to 160 m / min, 160 m / min to 170 m / min, 170 m / min to 180 m / min, 180 m / min to 190 m / min, 190 m / min to 200 m / min, 200 m / min to 210 m / min, 210 m / min to 220 m / min, 220 m / min to 230 m / min, 230 m / min to 240 m / min, 240 m / min to 250 m / min, 250 m / min to 260 m / min, 260 m / min to 270 m / min, 270 m / min to 280 m / min,280m / min to 290m / min, 290m / min to 300m / min, 300m / min to 310m / min, 310m / min to 320m / min, 320m / min to 330m / min, 330m / min to 340m / min, 340m / min to 350m / min, 350m / min to 360m / min, 360m / min to 370m / min, 370m / min to 380m / min, 380m / min to 390m / min, 390m / min to 400m / min, 400m / min to 410m / min, 410m / min to 420m / min, 420m / min to 430m / min, 430m / min to 440m / min, 440m / min to 450m / min, 450m / min to 460m / min, 460m / min to 470m / min, 470m / min to 480m / min, 480m / min to 490m / min, 490m / min to 500m / min, 500m / min to 510m / min, 510m / min to 520m / min, 520m / min to 530m / min, 530m / min to 540m / min, 540m / min to 550m / min, 550m / min to 560m / min, 560m / min to 570m / min, 570m / min to 580m / min, 580m / min to 590m / min, 590m / min to 600m / min. In some examples, the entire coil of the aluminum alloy product 305 may be annealed and quenched by the rapid annealing and quenching system 300 in 30 minutes or less, 1 hour or less, or 2 hours or less, including the process of unwinding the aluminum alloy product 305, passing the aluminum alloy product 305 through the rapid annealing and quenching system 300, and rewinding the aluminum alloy product 305.

[0096] Rapid heating and quenching system 300 may have any suitable heating power and production line capacity. In some cases, production line capacity may be a function of heating power, the entry temperature of aluminum alloy product 305, and the peak temperature reached by raising aluminum alloy product 305. In some examples, the heating power of rapid heating and quenching system 300 may be 1MW to 10MW or greater. Example power includes but is not limited to 1MW, 1.5MW, 2MW, 2.5MW, 3MW, 3.5MW, 4MW, 4.5MW, 5MW, 5.5MW, 6MW, 6.5MW, 7MW, 7.5MW, 8MW, 8.5MW, 9MW, 9.5MW or 10MW. Power may be greater or less or between any of these values. Before or upon entering the rapid heating and quenching system 300, the temperature of the aluminum alloy product 305 can be any suitable temperature, such as about 25°C to about 400°C, such as 25°C to 50°C, 50°C to 75°C, 75°C to 100°C, 100°C to 125°C, 125°C to 150°C, 150°C to 175°C, 175°C to 200°C, 200°C to 225°C, 225°C to 250°C, 250°C to 275°C, 275°C to 300°C, 300°C to 325°C, 325°C to 350°C, 350°C to 375°C, or 375°C to 400°C. The production line capacity of the rapid heating and quenching system may range from about 40 kTa to about 400 kTa, such as 40 kTa to 50 kTa, 50 kTa to 75 kTa, 75 kTa to 100 kTa, 100 kTa to 125 kTa, 125 kTa to 150 kTa, 150 kTa to 175 kTa, 175 kTa to 200 kTa, 200 kTa to 225 kTa, 225 kTa to 250 kTa, 250 kTa to 275 kTa, 275 kTa to 300 kTa, 300 kTa to 325 kTa, 325 kTa to 350 kTa, 350 kTa to 375 kTa, or 375 kTa to 400 kTa. The production line capacity may be higher, such as if the heating power exceeds 7.5 MW or 10 MW.

[0097] In some examples, unwinding may not be used immediately before rapid annealing. For example, in some cases, the rapid annealing and quenching system 300 may be placed downstream of the cold rolling process to allow the aluminum alloy product 305 to be rapidly annealed and quenched directly after a cold rolling pass in which the aluminum alloy product 305 has been unwinded. In some examples, rewinding may not be used immediately after quenching. For example, in some cases, the rapid annealing and quenching system 300 may be placed upstream of the cold rolling process to allow the aluminum alloy product 305 to be cold rolled directly after rapid annealing and quenching.

[0098] The aluminum alloy product subjected to rapid annealing and quenching may comprise any suitable alloy and have any suitable size. For example, the thickness of the alloy product may be 1 mm to 8 mm. In some examples, the aluminum alloy product may comprise a 6xxx series aluminum alloy, a 7xxx series aluminum alloy, a 2xxx series aluminum alloy, or a 5xxx series aluminum alloy.

[0099] The examples disclosed herein will be used to further illustrate various aspects of the present invention, but will not constitute any limitation of the present invention at the same time. On the contrary, it should be clearly understood that after reading the specification of this article, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, those skilled in the art themselves can think of various embodiments, modifications and equivalent forms thereof. Unless otherwise stated, the examples and embodiments described herein may also utilize conventional procedures. Some programs are described herein for illustrative purposes.

[0100] Example 1

[0101] A series of tests were carried out to evaluate the properties of rolled aluminum alloy products subjected to rapid annealing and quenching as described herein. Preliminary tests were carried out using a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator to evaluate mechanical properties, recrystallization and precipitation coarsening that vary with annealing temperature and quenching rate, and to help define processing conditions for subsequent tests. Rapid heating (about 10°C / s-20°C / s) was used to heat a sample block of a hot-rolled 6xxx series aluminum alloy with a thickness of 5mm to a peak temperature of 325°C to 500°C, and the sample block was subjected to instant air quenching when the peak temperature was reached, air quenching was carried out in 10 seconds after reaching the peak temperature, or non-quenching cooling with a temperature distribution similar to coil cooling was carried out. The air quenching rate was about -40°C / s.

[0102] Starting from a temperature of 450°C, complete or almost complete recrystallization was observed for all samples. The air-quenched samples did not show significant recrystallization at peak temperatures of 400°C or lower. For the samples subjected to a cooling profile similar to coil cooling, significant recrystallization (about 80%) and complete recrystallization were observed at peak temperatures of 350°C and 400°C, respectively.

[0103] For samples subjected to a cooling pattern similar to coil cooling, a small amount of precipitate coarsening was observed at a peak temperature of 400°C, and more and significant coarsening was observed at peak temperatures of 450°C and 500°C. For samples subjected to immediate air quenching, no precipitate coarsening was observed at any peak temperature. For samples subjected to delayed 10 second air quenching, no precipitate coarsening was observed at any peak temperature, except for the sample subjected to a peak temperature of 500°C, in which some coarsening was observed.

[0104] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C , Figure 4D and Figure 4E Optical micrographs are provided comparing the grain structures of samples of 6xxx series aluminum alloy products subjected to rapid heating to different peak temperatures followed by air quenching, samples of 6xxx series aluminum alloy products subjected to rapid heating to different peak temperatures followed by air quenching after 10 seconds, and samples subjected to 2 hours of batch annealing followed by coil-type cooling in a batch annealing furnace. The samples subjected to rapid heating to 500°C show complete recrystallization, and the grains are smaller and more equiaxed than comparable products subjected to batch annealing.

[0105] Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C , Figure 5D and Figure 5E Optical micrographs are provided comparing the precipitation phases of the following samples: samples of 6xxx series aluminum alloy products subjected to rapid heating to different peak temperatures followed by air quenching; samples of 6xxx series aluminum alloy products subjected to rapid heating to different peak temperatures followed by air quenching after 10 seconds; and samples subjected to 2 hours of batch annealing followed by coil-type cooling in a batch annealing furnace. The samples subjected to rapid heating and air quenching generally show less grain coarsening than the samples subjected to slower coil-type quenching in the batch annealing.

[0106] Subsequent testing was conducted by passing samples of 5 mm thick hot rolled 6xxx series aluminum alloy sheet panels through a rapid heating and quenching unit, where magnetic induction heating was used to rapidly heat the samples to peak metal temperature, followed by quenching by exposure to cooling water. A heating rate of up to or about 20°C / s was used, and a cooling rate of about -100°C / s was used.

[0107] Figure 6 Scanning electron microscopy images are provided comparing a cross section of a sample processed using a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator (top) with a cross section of a sample processed with a rapid heating and quenching unit (bottom). Both samples were subjected to rapid heating at a rate of about 20°C / s to a peak temperature of 460°C, and the microstructures were almost identical.

[0108] Subsequent testing was performed in which two coils of 5 mm thick hot rolled 6xxx series aluminum alloy sheet were unwound and passed through a rapid heating and quenching unit, where magnetic induction heating was used to rapidly anneal the sample at peak metal temperature, followed by quenching by exposure to cooling water. A heating rate of up to or about 20°C / s was used, and a cooling rate of about -100°C / s was used. A peak temperature of 460°C was used to process the first coil, and a peak temperature of 490°C was used to process the second coil. After rapid annealing and quenching, the sample was subjected to cold rolling, where the thickness was reduced from 5 mm to 0.9 mm. After cold rolling, the sample was subjected to continuous annealing and solution heat treatment, where the sample was heated to 540°C and held for 8 seconds, followed by air quenching. Comparative samples were subjected to batch annealing and coil cooling for reference. The samples were mechanically tested at various points in the processing.

[0109] Figure 7 Data showing the yield stress of samples subjected to rapid annealing and water quenching, as well as samples subjected to batch annealing (all prior to cold rolling) are provided. Figure 8 Data showing the total elongation for samples subjected to rapid annealing and water quenching and samples subjected to batch annealing (all before cold rolling) are provided. The measurements shown in these figures correspond to the properties averaged across the transverse width of the sample. The samples subjected to rapid annealing and quenching exhibited higher yield strength and lower elongation than the samples subjected to batch annealing.

[0110] Fig. 9 Optical micrographs of cross sections of samples subjected to rapid annealing and water quenching and samples subjected to batch annealing (all before cold rolling) are shown. The samples subjected to rapid annealing and quenching exhibit a more uniform and finer grain structure than the samples subjected to batch annealing.

[0111] Fig.10 A 50 μm wide micrograph of a sample subjected to rapid annealing and water quenching at 490°C and a sample subjected to batch annealing (all before cold rolling) is provided to show the number and size of Mg2Si precipitates (dark spots in the image). The sample subjected to rapid annealing and quenching shows finer precipitates, indicating that higher strength and formability can be expected. Due to the presence of less coarse precipitates, the sample subjected to rapid annealing and quenching does not need to have as long a duration as the sample subjected to batch annealing to undergo a subsequent solution heat treatment process to dissolve the precipitated phases.

[0112] The mechanical properties of the samples were evaluated after cold rolling, solution heat treatment and aging treatments (rapid annealing at 460°C and water quenching, RH+Q460°C; rapid annealing at 490°C and water quenching, RH+Q 490°C; and batch annealing, BA). Fig.11The yield stress of samples after room temperature aging treatment (T4 condition) and artificial aging treatment / baking paint (T81 condition) was compared. Fig.12 The total elongation of the samples after room temperature aging (T4 temper condition) was compared. The strength and elongation properties of the samples in each condition were comparable.

[0113] Subsequent testing was performed in which coils of hot rolled 6xxx series aluminum alloy sheet were unwound and passed through a rapid heating and quenching unit in which the metal was rapidly heated to a peak metal temperature of 460°C, 480°C, 490°C, or 530°C at a rate of 5°C / s, 10°C / s, 20°C / s, 40°C / s, or 100°C / s, followed by quenching by exposure to cooling water. The samples were subjected to cold rolling after the rapid annealing and quenching. After cold rolling, the samples were subjected to continuous annealing and solution heat treatment. The samples were tested at various points in the process.

[0114] For example, conductivity tests are performed on samples to assess the relative amounts of dissolved solutes (alloying elements) in the aluminum matrix. Fig.13 The results of the conductivity tests are shown in . For the samples annealed to a peak temperature of 460°C, the conductivity measurements are generally consistent, but at a heating rate of 100°C / s, the conductivity decreases. For the samples annealed to a peak temperature of 530°C, the lowest conductivity is observed at heating rates of 5°C / s and 10°C / s, indicating that these samples have the largest amount of solute dissolved in the aluminum matrix, while in the samples processed at a heating rate of 100°C / s, fine particles remain undissolved.

[0115] Fig.14A FIG14B shows a micrograph illustrating the through-thickness grain structure (cross-section, perpendicular to the rolling direction) of a sample annealed to a peak temperature of 460° C., showing that the heating rate has no significant effect on the grain size. FIG14C shows a micrograph illustrating the through-thickness grain structure (cross-section, perpendicular to the rolling direction) of a sample annealed to a peak temperature of 530° C., showing that the heating rate has no significant effect on the grain size.

[0116] Fig.15A and Fig. 15B Microscopic images of samples subjected to rapid annealing at different heating rates to peak temperatures of 460°C and 530°C are provided to show the number and size of Mg2Si precipitates (dark spots in the images). In general, the particle content appears to be similar at different heating rates, but the higher peak temperature of 530°C appears to reduce the number of particles.

[0117] Fig.16Conductivity data for samples subjected to rapid annealing to different peak temperatures are provided, showing conductivity values ​​measured at different locations in % IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard). These values ​​are significantly lower than those observed for the reference sample subjected to batch annealing, which exhibited a conductivity of about 56.8% IACS.

[0118] Fig.17 The measured yield stresses of samples subjected to rapid annealing to different peak temperatures are provided. These values ​​are significantly higher than those observed for reference samples subjected to batch annealing, which exhibited yield strengths of about 51-52 MPa.

[0119] Fig.18 The measured maximum axial strains for samples subjected to rapid annealing to different peak temperatures are provided. These values ​​are significantly lower than those observed for reference samples subjected to batch annealing, which exhibited maximum axial strains of about 32-36 MPa.

[0120] Illustrative aspects

[0121] As used below, any reference to a series of aspects (e.g., “Aspects 1 to 4”) or an unlisted group of aspects (e.g., “any previous or subsequent aspect”) should be understood as a separate reference to each of those aspects (e.g., “Aspects 1 to 4” should be understood as “Aspect 1, Aspect 2, Aspect 3, or Aspect 4”).

[0122] Aspect 1 is a method comprising: providing a rolled aluminum alloy product; subjecting the rolled aluminum alloy product to a rapid annealing process to produce an annealed aluminum alloy product, wherein the rapid annealing process comprises heating the rolled aluminum alloy product to a peak temperature of 400°C to 575°C at a rate of up to 100°C / s; and subjecting the annealed aluminum alloy product to a quenching process to produce a quenched aluminum alloy product, wherein the quenching process comprises cooling a portion of the annealed aluminum alloy product at a rate of -500°C / s to -2°C / s.

[0123] Aspect 2 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, further comprising: subjecting the quenched aluminum alloy product to a cold rolling process to produce a cold rolled aluminum alloy product.

[0124] Aspect 3 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, further comprising: subjecting the quenched aluminum alloy product to a solution heat treatment process.

[0125] Aspect 4 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, further comprising: subjecting the quenched aluminum alloy product to one or more of a cutting process, a forming process, and an aging treatment process.

[0126] Aspect 5 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product is a hot rolled aluminum alloy product.

[0127] Aspect 6 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an average Mg2Si grain size of less than 2 μm.

[0128] Aspect 7 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an electrical conductivity of 40% IACS to 55% IACS.

[0129] Aspect 8 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits a yield stress of 70 MPa to 160 MPa.

[0130] Aspect 9 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits a total elongation of 20% to 30%.

[0131] Aspect 10 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an average grain size of 10 μm to 35 μm.

[0132] Aspect 11 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product has a thickness of 1 mm to 8 mm.

[0133] Aspect 12 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

[0134] Aspect 13 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product is at least partially unrecrystallized or completely unrecrystallized.

[0135] Aspect 14 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the annealed aluminum alloy product is at least partially recrystallized or fully recrystallized.

[0136] Aspect 15 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rapid annealing process comprises heating the rolled aluminum alloy product using one or more magnetic induction heating units.

[0137] Aspect 16 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rapid annealing process or the quenching process comprises exposing the annealed aluminum alloy product to a quenching fluid.

[0138] Aspect 17 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product is a cold rolled aluminum alloy product.

[0139] Aspect 18 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product comprises a 6xxx series aluminum alloy or a 7xxx series aluminum alloy.

[0140] Aspect 19 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product comprises a 2xxx series aluminum alloy or a 5xxx series aluminum alloy.

[0141] Aspect 20 is the method of any previous or subsequent aspect, wherein the rapid annealing process does not include a batch annealing process or a coil annealing process, wherein the rapid annealing process does not include a batch annealing process or a coil annealing process, wherein subjecting the rolled aluminum alloy product to the rapid annealing process includes uncoiling the rolled aluminum alloy product, or wherein the method further includes coiling the quenched aluminum alloy product prior to a subsequent cold rolling process.

[0142] Aspect 21 is the method of any previous or subsequent aspect, wherein the rapid annealing process is a continuous heating process that heats only a portion of the rolled aluminum alloy product at a time; or wherein the quenching process is a continuous cooling process that cools only a portion of the annealed aluminum alloy product at a time.

[0143] Aspect 22 is the method of any previous or subsequent aspect, wherein the rapid annealing process comprises passing the rolled aluminum alloy product through a heating system at a rate of 5 m / min to 600 m / min; or wherein the quenching process comprises passing the annealed aluminum alloy product through a quenching system at a rate of 5 m / min to 600 m / min.

[0144] Aspect 23 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product is subjected to a temperature above 100° C. for a maximum of 5 minutes during the rapid annealing process and the quenching process.

[0145] Aspect 24 is the method of any preceding or subsequent aspect, further comprising maintaining the rolled aluminum alloy product within 20° C. of the peak temperature for up to 1 minute prior to the quenching process.

[0146] Aspect 25 is an aluminum alloy prepared using the method of any of the preceding or subsequent aspects.

[0147] Aspect 26 is an aluminum alloy product comprising: a formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product, the aluminum alloy sheet product comprising a 5xxx series aluminum alloy, a 6xxx series aluminum alloy or a 7xxx series aluminum alloy, wherein the surface arithmetic mean height (Sa) of the formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product is at most 10 μm, and wherein the thickness of the formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product is 1.00 mm to 3.5 mm.

[0148] Aspect 27 is the aluminum alloy product of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the formed or drawn aluminum alloy sheet product comprises a 6xxx series aluminum alloy, and wherein the formed or drawn aluminum alloy sheet product is free of or substantially free of surface lugs.

[0149] Aspect 28 is the aluminum alloy product of any preceding or subsequent aspect, wherein the formed or drawn aluminum alloy sheet product comprises a 5xxx series aluminum alloy, and wherein the formed or drawn aluminum alloy sheet product is free or substantially free of surface Luders bands.

[0150] Aspect 29 is the aluminum alloy product of any preceding aspect, which is prepared using the method of any preceding aspect.

[0151] All patents and publications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The foregoing description of the embodiments, including the illustrated embodiments, is presented for purposes of illustration and description only and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications, variations, and uses of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Provide rolled aluminum alloy products; subjecting the rolled aluminum alloy product to a rapid annealing process to produce an annealed aluminum alloy product, wherein the rapid annealing process comprises heating the rolled aluminum alloy product to a peak temperature of 400° C. to 575° C. at a rate of up to 100° C. / s; and The annealed aluminum alloy product is subjected to a quenching process to produce a quenched aluminum alloy product, wherein the quenching process comprises cooling a portion of the annealed aluminum alloy product at a rate of -500°C / s to -2°C / s.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The quenched aluminum alloy product is subjected to a cold rolling process to produce a cold rolled aluminum alloy product.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The quenched aluminum alloy product is subjected to a solution heat treatment process.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The quenched aluminum alloy product is subjected to one or more of a cutting process, a forming process, and an aging treatment process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product is a hot rolled aluminum alloy product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an average Mg2Si grain size of less than 2 μm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an electrical conductivity of 40% IACS to 55% IACS.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits a yield stress of 70 MPa to 160 MPa.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits a total elongation of 20% to 30%.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the quenched aluminum alloy product exhibits an average grain size of 10 μm to 35 μm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product has a thickness of 1 mm to 8 mm.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product is at least partially unrecrystallized or completely unrecrystallized.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the annealed aluminum alloy product is at least partially recrystallized or fully recrystallized.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the rapid annealing process comprises heating the rolled aluminum alloy product using one or more magnetic induction heating units.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the quenching process comprises exposing the annealed aluminum alloy product to a quenching fluid.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product is a cold rolled aluminum alloy product.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product comprises a 6xxx series aluminum alloy or a 7xxx series aluminum alloy.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product comprises a 2xxx series aluminum alloy or a 5xxx series aluminum alloy.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the rapid annealing process does not include a batch annealing process or a coil annealing process, wherein the rapid annealing process does not include a batch annealing process or a coil annealing process, wherein subjecting the rolled aluminum alloy product to the rapid annealing process includes uncoiling the rolled aluminum alloy product, or wherein the method further includes coiling the quenched aluminum alloy product prior to a subsequent cold rolling process.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the rapid annealing process is a continuous heating process that heats only a portion of the rolled aluminum alloy product at a time; or wherein the quenching process is a continuous cooling process that cools only a portion of the annealed aluminum alloy product at a time.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the rapid annealing process comprises passing the rolled aluminum alloy product through a heating system at a rate of 5 m / min to 600 m / min; or wherein the quenching process comprises passing the annealed aluminum alloy product through a quenching system at a rate of 5 m / min to 600 m / min.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product is subjected to a temperature above 100°C for a maximum of 5 minutes during the rapid annealing process and the quenching process.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the rolled aluminum alloy product within 20°C of a peak temperature for up to 1 minute prior to the quenching process.

25. An aluminum alloy prepared using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. An aluminum alloy product, comprising: A formed or stretched aluminum alloy sheet product, wherein the aluminum alloy sheet product comprises a 5xxx series aluminum alloy, a 6xxx series aluminum alloy, or a 7xxx series aluminum alloy, wherein the formed or stretched aluminum alloy thin plate product has a surface arithmetic mean height (Sa) of at most 10 μm, and The formed or stretched aluminum alloy thin plate product has a thickness of 1.00 mm to 3.5 mm.

27. The aluminum alloy product of claim 26, wherein the formed or drawn aluminum alloy sheet product comprises a 6xxx series aluminum alloy, and wherein the formed or drawn aluminum alloy sheet product is free or substantially free of surface lugs.

28. The aluminum alloy product of claim 26, wherein the formed or drawn aluminum alloy sheet product comprises a 5xxx series aluminum alloy, and wherein the formed or drawn aluminum alloy sheet product is free or substantially free of surface Luders bands.

29. An aluminium alloy product as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 28, produced using the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24.

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