High-recyclable aluminum alloy for automotive body panels

Abstract

Disclosed are aluminum alloys, metal products made using aluminum alloys, and methods for processing aluminum alloys. The disclosed alloys can be prepared using a large amount of recycled content, such as up to 100% recycled content. The disclosed aluminum alloys contain amounts of iron and manganese greater than those of equivalent aluminum alloys commonly produced by alloying primary aluminum. For example, the disclosed aluminum alloys may contain a ratio of the total amount of Mn and Cr to the amount of Fe greater than 0.6. The disclosed aluminum alloys can be produced by casting a 6xxx aluminum alloy to produce a cast product, which can then be processed to produce a rolled product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 488,836, filed on March 7, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to metallurgy, and more specifically, to aluminum alloys having a high recycled content.

Background Art

[0003] High formability aluminum alloys are used in many different applications, particularly in applications where strength and durability are required. For example, 6xxx series aluminum alloys are widely used in automotive applications due to an excellent combination of properties including strength - to - weight ratio, formability, weldability, and general corrosion resistance. 6xxx series aluminum alloys are widely used in automotive structural and closure panel applications instead of steel. Since aluminum alloys generally have a density about 2.8 times lower than steel, using such materials can reduce the weight of the vehicle and enable a significant improvement in vehicle fuel efficiency. Even so, using currently available aluminum alloys in automotive applications presents certain challenges.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The term "embodiment" and similar terms are intended to broadly refer to the subject matter of this disclosure and all of the following claims. It should be understood that any description containing these terms is not intended to limit the subject matter described herein, nor to limit the meaning or scope of the following claims. The embodiments of this disclosure covered herein are defined by the following claims, and not by this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of the various embodiments of this disclosure and introduces some of the ideas further described in the sections on embodiments for carrying out the invention below. This summary is not intended to identify the main or essential features of the subject matter described in the claims, nor is it intended to be used alone to determine the scope of the subject matter described in the claims. The subject matter should be understood by referring to the entire specification of this disclosure, any or all of the drawings, and the appropriate parts of each claim.

[0005] This specification describes aluminum alloys and metal products produced using those aluminum alloys. In certain embodiments, methods for preparing the metal products are also described. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain Al, Mn, Cr, and Fe. The ratio of the total amount of Mn and Cr to the amount of Fe may be greater than 0.6. The aluminum alloy may be a 6xxx series aluminum alloy. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may also contain Zn such that the ratio of the total amount of Mn, Cr, and Zn to the amount of Fe is greater than 0.6. In some embodiments, the ratio may be greater than 0.7. In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain more alpha-phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles than beta-phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles.

[0006] At least a portion of an aluminum alloy may contain recycled aluminum alloy. For example, an aluminum alloy may contain up to 100% recycled aluminum, or more than 20% recycled aluminum (e.g., by weight). Non-limitingly, the described aluminum alloys may contain recycled aluminum alloy (e.g., by weight) of 20% to 100%, e.g., 20% to 25%, 25% to 30%, 30% to 35%, 35% to 40%, 40% to 45%, 45% to 50%, 50% to 55%, 55% to 60%, 60% to 65%, 65% to 70%, 70% to 75%, 75% to 80%, 80% to 85%, 85% to 90%, 90% to 95%, or 95% to 100%.

[0007] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain Zn in amounts up to approximately 0.045 wt%, for example, approximately 0.035 wt% to 0.045 wt%. For example, Zn in the aluminum alloy may be 0.0350 wt% to 0.0355 wt%, 0.0355 wt% to 0.0360 wt%, 0.0360 wt% to 0.0365 wt%, 0.0365 wt% to 0.0370 wt%, 0.0370 wt% to 0.0375 wt%, 0.0375 wt% to 0.0380 wt%, 0.0380 wt% to 0.0385 wt%, 0.0385 wt% to 0.0390 wt%, 0.0390 wt% to 0.0395 wt%, and 0.0395 wt% to 0.04 wt%. It may exist in amounts of 0% by weight, 0.040% to 0.0405% by weight, 0.0405% to 0.0410% by weight, 0.0410% to 0.0415% by weight, 0.0415% to 0.0420% by weight, 0.0420% to 0.0425% by weight, 0.0425% to 0.0430% by weight, 0.0430% to 0.0435% by weight, 0.0435% to 0.0440% by weight, 0.0440% to 0.0445% by weight, or 0.0445% to 0.0450% by weight.

[0008] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain Cr in amounts up to 0.14% by weight, for example, about 0.025% to 0.03% by weight. For example, Cr is present in aluminum alloys at concentrations of 0.00 wt% to 0.005 wt%, 0.005 wt% to 0.010 wt%, 0.010 wt% to 0.015 wt%, 0.015 wt% to 0.020 wt%, 0.020 wt% to 0.025 wt%, 0.025 wt% to 0.030 wt%, 0.030 wt% to 0.035 wt%, 0.035 wt% to 0.040 wt%, 0.040 wt% to 0.045 wt%, 0.045 wt% to 0.050 wt%, 0.050 wt% to 0.055 wt%, 0.055 wt% to 0.060 wt%, 0.060 wt% to 0.065 wt%, and 0.065 wt% to 0.07 wt. It may exist in amounts of 0% by weight, 0.070% to 0.075% by weight, 0.075% to 0.080% by weight, 0.080% to 0.085% by weight, 0.085% to 0.090% by weight, 0.090% to 0.095% by weight, 0.095% to 0.100% by weight, 0.100% to 0.105% by weight, 0.105% to 0.110% by weight, 0.110% to 0.115% by weight, 0.115% to 0.120% by weight, 0.120% to 0.125% by weight, 0.125% to 0.130% by weight, 0.130% to 0.135% by weight, or 0.135% to 0.14% by weight.

[0009] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain Mn in amounts up to 0.4 wt%, for example 0.15 wt% to 0.25 wt%, at least 0.2 wt%, or at least 0.3 wt%. For example, Mn may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts of 0.00 wt% to 0.01 wt%, 0.01 wt% to 0.02 wt%, 0.02 wt% to 0.03 wt%, 0.03 wt% to 0.04 wt%, 0.04 wt% to 0.05 wt%, 0.05 wt% to 0.06 wt%, 0.06 wt% to 0.07 wt%, 0.07 wt% to 0.08 wt%, 0.08 wt% to 0.09 wt%, 0.09wt%~0.10wt%, 0.11wt%~0.12wt%, 0.12wt%~0.13wt%, 0.13wt%~0.14wt%, 0.14wt%~0.15wt%, 0 .15wt%~0.16wt%, 0.16wt%~0.17wt%, 0.17wt%~0.18wt%, 0.18wt%~0.19wt%, 0.19wt%~0.20wt%, 0.2 0wt%~0.21wt%, 0.21wt%~0.22wt%, 0.22wt%~0.23wt%, 0.23wt%~0.24wt%, 0.24wt%~0.25wt%, 0.25 wt%~0.26wt%, 0.26wt%~0.27wt%, 0.27wt%~0.28wt%, 0.28wt%~0.29wt%, 0.29wt%~0.30wt%, 0.30wt% It may exist in amounts of %~0.31% by weight, 0.31%~0.32% by weight, 0.32%~0.33% by weight, 0.33%~0.34% by weight, 0.34%~0.35% by weight, 0.35%~0.36% by weight, 0.36%~0.37% by weight, 0.37%~0.38% by weight, 0.38%~0.39% by weight, or 0.39%~0.40% by weight.

[0010] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain Fe in amounts up to 0.45 wt%, for example, 0.3 wt% to 0.35 wt%. For example, Fe may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts of 0.00 wt% to 0.01 wt%, 0.01 wt% to 0.02 wt%, 0.02 wt% to 0.03 wt%, 0.03 wt% to 0.04 wt%, 0.04 wt% to 0.05 wt%, 0.05 wt% to 0.06 wt%, 0.06 wt% to 0.07 wt%, 0.07 wt% to 0.08 wt%, 0.08 wt% to 0.09 wt%, 0.09 wt% to 0.10 wt%, and 0.11 wt%. wt%~0.12wt%, 0.12wt%~0.13wt%, 0.13wt%~0.14wt%, 0.14wt%~0.15wt%, 0.15wt%~0.16wt%, 0.16wt%~0.17wt% , 0.17wt%~0.18wt%, 0.18wt%~0.19wt%, 0.19wt%~0.20wt%, 0.20wt%~0.21wt%, 0.21wt%~0.22wt%, 0.22wt%~0.2 3% by weight, 0.23% to 0.24% by weight, 0.24% to 0.25% by weight, 0.25% to 0.26% by weight, 0.26% to 0.27% by weight, 0.27% to 0.28% by weight, 0.28% by weight %~0.29wt%, 0.29wt%~0.30wt%, 0.30wt%~0.31wt%, 0.31wt%~0.32wt%, 0.32wt%~0.33wt%, 0.33wt%~0.34wt%, 0. It may exist in amounts of 34% to 0.35%, 0.35% to 0.36%, 0.36% to 0.37%, 0.37% to 0.38%, 0.38% to 0.39%, 0.39% to 0.40%, 0.40% to 0.41%, 0.41% to 0.42%, 0.42% to 0.43%, 0.43% to 0.44%, or 0.44% to 0.45%.

[0011] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain Mg in an amount of approximately 0.38% to 0.65% by weight. For example, Mg may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts of 0.38% to 0.39%, 0.39% to 0.40%, 0.40% to 0.41%, 0.41% to 0.42%, 0.42% to 0.43%, 0.43% to 0.44%, 0.44% to 0.45%, 0.45% to 0.46%, 0.46% to 0.47%, 0.47% to 0.48%, 0.48% to 0.49%, 0.49% to 0.50%, 0.50% to 0.51%, and 0.5 It may exist in amounts of 1% to 0.52% by weight, 0.52% to 0.53% by weight, 0.53% to 0.54% by weight, 0.54% to 0.55% by weight, 0.55% to 0.56% by weight, 0.56% to 0.57% by weight, 0.57% to 0.58% by weight, 0.58% to 0.59% by weight, 0.59% to 0.60% by weight, 0.60% to 0.61% by weight, 0.61% to 0.62% by weight, 0.62% to 0.63% by weight, 0.63% to 0.64% by weight, or 0.64% to 0.65% by weight.

[0012] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain Si in an amount of about 0.65% to 1.2% by weight. For example, Si may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts of 0.65% to 0.66%, 0.66% to 0.67%, 0.67% to 0.68%, 0.68% to 0.69%, 0.69% to 0.70%, 0.70% to 0.71%, 0.71% to 0.72%, 0.72% to 0.73%, 0.73% to 0.74%, 0.74% to 0.75%, 0.75% to 0.76%, 0.76% to 0.77%, and so on. 0.78wt%, 0.78wt%~0.79wt%, 0.79wt%~0.80wt%, 0.80wt%~0.81wt%, 0.81wt%~0.82wt%, 0.82wt%~0.83wt%, 0.83wt%~0.84wt%, 0.84wt% Amount%~0.85wt%, 0.85wt%~0.86wt%, 0.87wt%~0.88wt%, 0.88wt%~0.89wt%, 0.89wt%~0.90wt%, 0.90wt%~0.91wt%, 0.91wt%~0.92wt%, 0.9 2wt%~0.93wt%, 0.93wt%~0.94wt%, 0.94wt%~0.95wt%, 0.95wt%~0.96wt%, 0.96wt%~0.97wt%, 0.97wt%~0.98wt%, 0.98wt%~0.99wt%, 0.99wt%~1.00wt%, 1.00wt%~1.01wt%, 1.01wt%~1.02wt%, 1.02wt%~1.03wt%, 1.03wt%~1.04wt%, 1.04wt%~1.05wt%, 1.05wt%~1.06wt It may exist in amounts of %, 1.06% to 1.07% by weight, 1.07% to 1.08% by weight, 1.08% to 1.09% by weight, 1.09% to 1.10% by weight, 1.10% to 1.11% by weight, 1.12% to 1.13% by weight, 1.13% to 1.14% by weight, 1.14% to 1.15% by weight, 1.15% to 1.16% by weight, 1.16% to 1.17% by weight, 1.17% to 1.18% by weight, 1.18% to 1.19% by weight, or 1.19% to 1.20% by weight.

[0013] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy may contain Cu in an amount of about 0.04% to 0.17% by weight. For example, Cu may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts of 0.04% to 0.045%, 0.045% to 0.050%, 0.050% to 0.050%, 0.050% to 0.055%, 0.055% to 0.060%, 0.065% to 0.070%, 0.070% to 0.075%, 0.075% to 0.080%, 0.085% to 0.090%, 0.095% to 0.100%, 0.100% to 0.105%, and 0.10 It may exist in amounts of 5% to 0.110% by weight, 0.110% to 0.115% by weight, 0.115% to 0.120% by weight, 0.120% to 0.125% by weight, 0.125% to 0.130% by weight, 0.135% to 0.140% by weight, 0.140% to 0.145% by weight, 0.145% to 0.150% by weight, 0.150% to 0.155% by weight, 0.155% to 0.160% by weight, 0.160% to 0.165% by weight, or 0.165% to 0.17% by weight.

[0014] In some embodiments, Ti may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts of about 0.03% to about 0.04% by weight. For example, Ti may be present in the aluminum alloy in amounts of 0.030% to 0.031%, 0.031% to 0.032%, 0.032% to 0.033%, 0.033% to 0.034%, 0.034% to 0.035%, 0.035% to 0.036%, 0.036% to 0.037%, 0.037% to 0.038%, 0.038% to 0.039%, or 0.039% to 0.04% by weight.

[0015] Furthermore, metal products, including metal products containing aluminum alloys such as those described herein, are described herein. The disclosed metal products can be processed into any desired shape or form. In certain embodiments, the metal products include transport vehicle body parts. The disclosed metal products can be manufactured using any suitable processing method in which an aluminum alloy is processed using various processing steps to produce a metal product. In some cases, the metal products are rolled metal products. Optionally, the metal products are double-recrystallized metal products. The metal products can exhibit suitable properties, such as mechanical or physical properties or features, which may be advantageous for various end uses or embodiments. In some embodiments, the metal products may be transport vehicle body parts or automobile body parts.

[0016] This specification describes a method for producing a metal product from the aforementioned aluminum alloy. In some embodiments, the method for producing a metal product may include casting the aluminum alloy to produce a cast product, homogenizing the cast product to produce a homogenized product, and hot rolling the homogenized product to produce a rolled product. Following hot rolling, the method may include subjecting the rolled product to a recrystallization process and cold rolling the rolled product one or more times to produce a metal product. In some embodiments, the recrystallization process may be carried out immediately after the hot rolling step. Furthermore, the method may include cold rolling the rolled product one or more times before the recrystallization process. The rolled product may have a gauge of about 3.5 mm to 5 mm during the recrystallization process. For example, rolled products may have gauges of approximately 3.5 mm, 3.55 mm, 3.40 mm, 3.45 mm, 3.50 mm, 3.55 mm, 3.60 mm, 3.65 mm, 3.75 mm, 3.80 mm, 3.85 mm, 3.90 mm, 3.95 mm, 4.00 mm, 4.05 mm, 4.10 mm, 4.15 mm, 4.25 mm, 4.30 mm, 4.35 mm, 4.40 mm, 4.45 mm, 4.50 mm, 4.55 mm, 4.60 mm, 4.65 mm, 4.70 mm, 4.75 mm, 4.80 mm, 4.85 mm, 4.90 mm, 4.95 mm, or 5 mm.

[0017] In some embodiments, the recrystallization process may involve exposing the rolled product to temperatures ranging from approximately 350°C to approximately 500°C for up to 20 minutes. For example, temperatures may range from 350°C to 355°C, 355°C to 360°C, 360°C to 365°C, 365°C to 370°C, 375°C to 380°C, 380°C to 385°C, 385°C to 390°C, 390°C to 395°C, 395°C to 400°C, 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, and 425°C to 4 The temperature may be in the range of 30°C, 430°C-435°C, 435°C-440°C, 440°C-445°C, 445°C-450°C, 450°C-455°C, 455°C-460°C, 460°C-465°C, 465°C-470°C, 470°C-475°C, 475°C-480°C, 480°C-485°C, 485°C-490°C, 490°C-495°C, or 495°C-500°C. In the examples, the recrystallization process may last for 0-1 minute, 1-2 minutes, 2-3 minutes, 3-4 minutes, 4-5 minutes, 5-6 minutes, 6-7 minutes, 7-8 minutes, 8-9 minutes, 9-10 minutes, 10-11 minutes, 11-12 minutes, 12-13 minutes, 13-14 minutes, 14-15 minutes, 15-16 minutes, 16-17 minutes, 17-18 minutes, 18-19 minutes, or 19-20 minutes.

[0018] Other objectives and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments below.

[0019] This specification refers to the following attached figures, but the use of similar reference numbers in different figures is intended to indicate similar or identical components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] A schematic outline of an exemplary method for producing rolled aluminum alloy products is shown. [Figure 2] This provides a schematic overview of the process for preparing aluminum alloy articles. [Figure 3]Shows the measured weight percent phases of various aluminum alloy samples over different temperatures. [Figure 4] Shows the measured weight percent phases of various aluminum alloy samples over different temperatures. [Figure 5] Shows the measured weight percent phases of various aluminum alloy samples over different temperatures. [Figure 6] Shows the measured weight percent phases of various aluminum alloy samples over different temperatures. [Figure 7] Shows the measured weight percent phases of various aluminum alloy samples over different temperatures. [Figure 8] Shows the measured weight percent phases of various aluminum alloy samples over different temperatures. [Figure 9] Shows the measured weight percent phases of various aluminum alloy samples over different temperatures. [Figure 10] Shows the measured critical temperatures of various aluminum alloy samples. [Figure 11] Shows the measured precipitate solvus temperatures of various aluminum alloy samples.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] This specification describes aluminum alloys, metal articles made using aluminum alloys, and methods of processing aluminum alloys. The disclosed alloys can be prepared using a substantial recycled aluminum alloy content, such as up to 100% recycled content. The disclosed aluminum alloys contain more iron and manganese than equivalent aluminum alloys typically made by alloying primary aluminum. Specifically, the disclosed aluminum alloys can include a ratio of the total amount of manganese and chromium to the amount of iron that is greater than 0.6. Increasing the ratio of manganese with iron can reduce the detrimental effects due to an increase in the amount of iron in the aluminum alloy. For example, such a ratio can maximize the presence of the alpha phase as the main increase in the intermetallic phase to reduce the detrimental effects of intermetallic compounds in bending. Further, hot rolling and recrystallization processes are performed on the aluminum alloys of the present disclosure, which can at least partially contribute to the desired bending, forming, and surface properties and characteristics of metal articles made using the aluminum alloys of the present disclosure.

[0022] Aluminum alloys used for recycling can contain a mixture of various aluminum alloys or an unknown amount of aluminum alloy. In some cases, contaminants may also be present in the aluminum alloys used for recycling. For example, the aluminum alloys used for recycling may correspond to scrap source aluminum such as end-of-life automotive aluminum or industrial scrap sources such as remelt scrap ingots (RSIs), extruded profiles, aluminum plates, waxed scrap, and cast alloy scrap.

[0023] To enable aluminum alloys to be useful as metal products for specific applications (e.g., as body panels or structural panels), the energy requirements and carbon footprint for preparing metal products can be significantly reduced by increasing the amount of recycled aluminum content that can be included in the aluminum alloys described herein, while retaining desirable physical and mechanical properties. For example, the alloys and processing techniques described herein are useful for producing aluminum alloy sheet metal or other metal products having desirable bending properties, strength properties, and formation properties (e.g., isotropic formation properties).

[0024] 6xxx series aluminum alloys are commonly used in automotive or structural applications. Generally, aluminum alloys with various designations (e.g., AA6016 or AA6005) are not prepared using large amounts of recycled aluminum. For example, elemental restrictions on some 6xxx series aluminum alloy products are typically lower for certain elements (e.g., Fe and Mn) than are commonly found in recycled aluminum alloy materials. In other words, adding recycled aluminum content to an aluminum alloy intended to become a specific 6xxx series aluminum alloy product (e.g., an AA6016 or AA6005 product) may necessitate the use of large amounts of primary aluminum to ensure that certain elements (e.g., Fe and Mn) do not exceed the limits set by the product or alloy designation. When a 6xxx series aluminum alloy product contains a large amount of recycled aluminum, the alloy designation may differ from those commonly used for a particular application. When a 6xxx series aluminum alloy with a high recycled content is processed according to techniques commonly used to prepare products using alloys that contain little to no recycled material (e.g., AA6016 or AA6005), the resulting product may have different mechanical and physical properties than those made using a reference alloy (e.g., AA6016 or AA6005). For example, an increase in the amount of Fe and Mn present when using a high recycled content can increase the intermetallic particles in the aluminum alloy, hindering the effectiveness of the recrystallization process and potentially altering the strength, formability, or other properties of the alloy compared to when it is prepared according to common processing techniques.

[0025] However, the alloys described herein overcome these challenges by including specific elements (e.g., iron and manganese) in specific amounts while still retaining beneficial properties, enabling the use of materials with a high recycled content. For example, by using specific processing schemes, such as those employing one or more hot rolling steps before the final cold rolling step, the resulting aluminum alloy products can be imparted with desired properties (e.g., bending properties, formability, strength properties, and / or surface properties) even when a high recycled content is used in their preparation. Advantageously, these alloys can reduce the overall carbon footprint of the final product by being prepared with a high recycled content compared to the same final product prepared with a high amount of primary aluminum.

[0026] Definition and explanation: As used herein, the terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention,” and “the present invention” are intended to broadly refer to the subject matter of this patent application and all of the following claims. Statements containing these terms should not be understood as limiting the subject matter described herein or the meaning or scope of the following claims.

[0027] This description refers to alloys identified by AA numbers and other relevant symbols (e.g., "system" or "7xxx"). For an understanding of the numbering system most commonly used for naming and identifying 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 Composition Limits for Aluminum Alloys in the Form of Castings and Ingot" (both published by The Aluminum Association).

[0028] As used herein, a plate generally has a thickness greater than about 15 mm. For example, a plate may refer to an aluminum product having a thickness greater than about 15 mm, about 20 mm, about 25 mm, about 30 mm, about 35 mm, about 40 mm, about 45 mm, about 50 mm, or about 100 mm.

[0029] As used herein, shades (also called sheet plates) generally have a thickness of about 4 mm to about 15 mm. For example, shades may have a thickness of 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.

[0030] As used herein, a sheet generally refers to an aluminum product with a thickness of less than approximately 4 mm. For example, a sheet may have a thickness of less than approximately 4 mm, less than approximately 3 mm, less than approximately 2 mm, less than approximately 1 mm, less than approximately 0.5 mm, or less than approximately 0.3 mm (e.g., about 0.2 mm).

[0031] In this application, alloy temper or alloy state may be referred to. To understand the most commonly used descriptions of alloy temper, please refer to "American National Standards (ANSI) H35 on Alloy and Temper Designation Systems". F state or temper refers to aluminum alloy as manufactured. O state or temper refers to aluminum alloy after annealing. Hxx state or temper (also referred to herein as H temper) refers to unheat-treated aluminum alloy after cold rolling, with or without heat treatment (e.g., annealing). Preferred H tempers include HX1, HX2, HX3, HX4, HX5, HX6, HX7, HX8, or HX9. T1 state or temper refers to aluminum alloy cooled from hot working and naturally aged (e.g., at room temperature). T2 state or temper refers to aluminum alloy cooled from hot working, cold working, and naturally aged. T3 state or temper refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution-heat treated, cold-worked, and naturally aged. T4 state or temper refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution-heat treated and naturally aged. T5 state or temper refers to aluminum alloys that have been cooled from hot-worked and artificially aged (at high temperatures). T6 state or temper refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution-heat treated and artificially aged. T7 state or temper refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution-heat treated and artificially over-aged. T8x state or temper refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution-heat treated, cold-worked, and artificially aged. T9 state or temper refers to aluminum alloys that have been solution-heat treated, artificially aged, and cold-worked. W state or temper refers to aluminum alloys after solution heat treatment.

[0032] As used herein, terms such as “cast metal products,” “cast products,” and “cast aluminum alloy products” are interchangeable and refer to products manufactured by direct chill casting (including direct chill co-casting) or semi-continuous casting, continuous casting (including, for example, by the use of a twin-belt caster, twin-roll caster, block caster, or any other continuous caster), electromagnetic casting, hot-top casting, or any other casting method.

[0033] As used herein, “room temperature” may include temperatures ranging from approximately 15°C to approximately 30°C, such as approximately 15°C, 16°C, 17°C, 18°C, 19°C, 20°C, 21°C, 22°C, 23°C, 24°C, 25°C, 26°C, 27°C, 28°C, 29°C, or approximately 30°C. As used herein, “ambient conditions” may include temperatures of approximately room temperature, relative humidity of approximately 20% to approximately 100%, and atmospheric pressure of approximately 975 millibars (mbar) to approximately 1050 mbar. For example, relative humidity is approximately 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, and 61%. It could be approximately 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 100%, or somewhere in between. For example, atmospheric pressure could be approximately 975 mbar, 980 mbar, 985 mbar, 990 mbar, 995 mbar, 1000 mbar, 1005 mbar, 1010 mbar, 1015 mbar, 1020 mbar, 1025 mbar, 1030 mbar, 1035 mbar, 1040 mbar, 1045 mbar, 1050 mbar, or somewhere in between.

[0034] All ranges disclosed herein should be understood to encompass all subranges contained therein. For example, the presented range "1 to 10" should be considered to include all subranges (including both ends) between the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10. That is, all subranges begin with a minimum value of 1 or greater (e.g., 1 to 6.1) and end with a maximum value of 10 or less (e.g., 5.5 to 10). Unless otherwise stated, the expression "maximum," when referring to the composition amount of an element, means that the element is optional and includes zero percent composition of that particular element. Unless otherwise stated, all composition percentages are weight percent (wt.%).

[0035] As used herein, the meanings of "a," "an," and "the" include singular and plural references unless otherwise explicitly indicated by the context.

[0036] In the following examples, aluminum alloy products and their components can be described in weight percentages (W%) with respect to their elemental composition. In each alloy, if the maximum weight percentage of the total impurities is 0.15%, the remainder is aluminum.

[0037] Associated elements (e.g., grain refiners and deoxidizers) or other additives may be present in the present invention and may add other properties of the alloys described herein without causing any deviation from or significant alteration of the properties of the alloys described herein.

[0038] Inevitably, small amounts of impurities (including materials or elements) may be present in the alloy due to the inherent properties of aluminum or leaching due to contact with processing equipment. As described, some alloys may contain, in addition to alloying elements, associated elements, and inevitable impurities, any element in amounts of approximately 0.25 wt.% or less.

[0039] Methods for manufacturing and preparing alloys and aluminum alloy products. The aluminum alloy products described herein can be prepared using appropriate methods. For example, aluminum alloys can be cast, homogenized, and then hot-rolled, cold-rolled, heat-treated, and formed using a breakdown mill followed by a tandem mill, or using only a breakdown mill, to produce aluminum alloy products.

[0040] Figure 1 outlines an exemplary method for producing an aluminum alloy product. The method in Figure 1 begins at 105, where the 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 and / or one or more cold rolling passes to form a rolled aluminum alloy product 112. The rolled aluminum alloy product 112 may correspond to an aluminum alloy article (e.g., an aluminum alloy plate, an aluminum alloy shade, or an aluminum alloy sheet). Optionally, the rolled aluminum alloy product 112 may be subjected to additional processing steps, as described below, to form an aluminum alloy article.

[0041] The alloys described herein may be cast using any suitable casting method known to those skilled in the art. Some non-limiting examples of casting processes include direct chill (DC) casting processes or continuous casting (CC) processes. For example, Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a DC casting process in 105, but other casting processes may also be used. A continuous casting system may include a pair of movable opposing casting surfaces (e.g., movable opposing belts, rolls, or blocks), a mold hole between the pair of movable opposing casting surfaces, and a molten metal injector. The molten metal injector may have an end opening from which molten metal can exit the injector and be injected into the mold hole.

[0042] Cast aluminum alloy products, such as cast ingots, cast slabs, or other cast products, can be processed by any suitable means. Such processing steps include, but are not limited to, homogenization, hot rolling, cold rolling, solution heat treatment, and optional pre-aging steps.

[0043] In the homogenization step, the cast aluminum alloy product is homogenized to form a homogenized aluminum alloy product. During homogenization, the cast product may be heated to temperatures in the range of about 400°C to about 565°C. For example, the cast product may be heated to temperatures 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, or about 540°C, up to a maximum of 565°C. The product can then be soaked (e.g., held at a specified temperature) for a certain period of time to form a homogenized product. In some embodiments, the total time for the homogenization step, including the heating and soaking steps, can be up to 72 hours. For example, the product can be heated and soaked to a maximum of 500°C to 565°C for a total time of up to 18 hours for the homogenization step. Optionally, the product may be homogenized by heating it to below 490°C for a total time of 18 hours or more for the homogenization step. In some cases, the homogenization step may include multiple processes. In some non-limiting examples, the homogenization step may include heating the cast product to a first temperature for a first time, followed by heating it to a second temperature for a second 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. In some embodiments, the homogenization process and the casting process are combined as a casting with in-situ homogenization.

[0044] Homogenized aluminum alloy products are subjected to one or more rolling joining passes and / or one or more hot rolling passes to form rolled aluminum alloy products that may correspond to aluminum alloy products such as aluminum alloy plates, aluminum alloy shades, or aluminum alloy sheets. The rolling joining process can be carried out in different ways. For example, the rolling joining process may include both hot rolling and cold rolling. Furthermore, the rolling joining process may be a one-step process or a multi-step process in which the material is gauge-reduced during sequential rolling steps. Individual rolling steps may be optionally separated by other processing steps, including, for example, annealing steps, cleaning steps, heating steps, and cooling steps.

[0045] Before starting hot rolling, the homogenized product may be cooled to a temperature of 380°C to 500°C. For example, the homogenized product may be cooled to a temperature between 400°C and 425°C. Next, the homogenized product can be hot-rolled at a temperature of 250°C to 500°C to form a hot-rolled plate, hot-rolled shade, or hot-rolled sheet having a gauge of 2 mm to 200 mm (for example, 2 mm, 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 in between).

[0046] Optionally, the cast product may be a continuous cast product that can be cooled to a temperature of 300°C to 450°C. For example, the continuous cast product can be cooled to a temperature of 325°C to 425°C or 350°C to 400°C. Next, the continuously cast product can be hot-rolled at a temperature of 300°C to 450°C to form a hot-rolled plate, hot-rolled shade, or hot-rolled sheet having a gauge of 3 mm to 200 mm (for example, 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 in between). During hot rolling, temperature and other operating parameters can be controlled so that the temperature of the hot-rolled intermediate product when it exits the hot rolling mill is 450°C or lower, 440°C or lower, or 430°C or lower.

[0047] Castings, homogenized products, or hot-rolled products may optionally be subjected to a rough-rolling (break-down) process or a rough-rolling and tandem process. Optionally, a preliminary cold-rolling process may be used after the hot-rolling process, the rough-rolling process, and / or the rough-rolling and tandem process. The preliminary cold-rolling process allows aluminum products to be cold-rolled into thinner products, such as cold-rolled sheets, using a cold-rolling mill. Cold-rolled products may have gauges of approximately 0.1 to 7 mm, for example, about 0.7 to 6.5 mm. Optionally, cold-rolled products may have gauges of 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, or 7.0 mm. Preliminary cold rolling may be performed to yield a final gauge thickness that shows a gauge reduction of up to approximately 95% compared to the gauge before the preliminary cold rolling is initiated (e.g., a reduction of up to 10%, up to 20%, up to 30%, up to 40%, up to 50%, up to 55%, up to 60%, up to 70%, up to 75%, up to 80%, or up to 85%, or up to 90%, up to 95%, or up to 99%).

[0048] A recrystallization process may be optionally used following a cold rolling process. In some cases, products after a hot rolling process, a rough rolling process, and / or a rough rolling / tandem process are subjected to a recrystallization process. The recrystallization process may be any suitable treatment (e.g., an intermediate annealing process) that results in at least partial recrystallization to produce a recrystallized aluminum product. The intermediate annealing process may include subjecting a non-recrystallized aluminum product (e.g., a hot-rolled or cold-rolled product) to heat treatment at a predetermined temperature of about 350°C to 500°C for a time length of about 120 minutes or less to produce a recrystallized aluminum product. For example, as part of an annealing or recrystallization process, a cast product, a homogenized product, a hot-rolled product, or a cold-rolled product may be heated to a temperature of up to 495°C for a time length of up to 20 minutes. In some embodiments, the temperature ranges from approximately 350°C to approximately 500°C, for example, 300°C to 305°C, 305°C to 310°C, 310°C to 315°C, 315°C to 320°C, 320°C to 325°C, 325°C to 330°C, 335°C to 340°C, 340°C to 345°C, 345°C to 350°C, 350°C to 355°C, 355°C to 360°C, 360°C to 365°C, 365°C to 370°C, 375°C to 380°C, 380°C to 385°C, 385°C to 390°C, 390°C to 395°C, 395°C to 400°C, and 400°C. The temperature range may be 405°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, 490°C to 495°C, or 495°C to 500°C. Any suitable temperature ramp rate may be used to heat to the specified temperature and / or cool from the specified temperature.In some embodiments, the manufactured product was produced in approximately 0.1 seconds to approximately 25 minutes, for example, 0.1 seconds to 0.5 seconds, 0.5 seconds to 1 second, 1 second to 2 seconds, 2 seconds to 3 seconds, 3 seconds to 4 seconds, 4 seconds to 5 seconds, 5 seconds to 10 seconds, 10 seconds to 15 seconds, 15 seconds to 30 seconds, 30 seconds to 45 seconds, 45 seconds to 60 seconds, 60 seconds to 75 seconds, 75 seconds to 90 seconds, 90 seconds to 105 seconds, 105 seconds to 2 minutes, 2 minutes to 3 minutes, 3 minutes to 4 minutes, 4 minutes to 5 minutes, 5 minutes to 10 minutes, 10 minutes to 1 The temperature is heated to this level for a duration of 5 minutes, 15-20 minutes, 20-25 minutes, 25-30 minutes, 35-40 minutes, 40-45 minutes, 45-50 minutes, 55-60 minutes, 60-65 minutes, 65-70 minutes, 70-75 minutes, 75-80 minutes, 85-90 minutes, 90-95 minutes, 95-100 minutes, 100-105 minutes, 105-110 minutes, 110-115 minutes, or 115-120 minutes. In some cases, this may indicate that the temperature is maintained at or approximately at the specified temperature, or within 5°C or 10°C of the specified temperature, for that duration. In some embodiments, the temperature or temperature range may be combined with a specific duration or duration. For example, if the time duration is 10 minutes or less, the temperature may be 440°C to 485°C; if the time duration is less than 1 minute, the temperature may be 450°C to 475°C; or if the time duration is 2 seconds to 35 seconds, the temperature may be 470°C to 475°C. Any variation or combination of the above temperatures and time durations may be used, and the composition of a particular alloy or final product may benefit from a particular combination of temperature and time duration, or a particular range of temperature and time duration. The product may have a gauge of approximately 3.5 mm to 5 mm during the recrystallization process. For example, the product may have a gauge of 3.5 mm, 3.6 mm, 3.7 mm, 3.8 mm, 3.9 mm, 4.0 mm, 4.1 mm, 4.2 mm, 4.3 mm, 4.4 mm, 4.5 mm, 4.6 mm, 4.7 mm, 4.7 mm, 4.8 mm, 4.9 mm, or 5.0 mm.

[0049] The recrystallization process involves recrystallizing cast, homogenized, or rolled products at speeds of approximately 10 m / min to 150 m / min, for example, 10 m / min to 15 m / min, 15 m / min to 20 m / min, 20 m / min to 25 m / min, 25 m / min to 30 m / min, 30 m / min to 40 m / min, 40 m / min to 45 m / min, 45 m / min to 50 m / min, and 50 m / min to 6 m / min. The process may include passing the product through a furnace at speeds of 0 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, or 140 m / min to 150 m / min. In some cases, the recrystallization process may include heating the product by passing the cast product, homogenized product, or rolled product through a gas combustion furnace. In some cases, the recrystallization process may include or use a magnetic heating unit with a heating rate of 10°C / sec to 150°C / sec. Optionally, the recrystallization process may include or use a quenching process (e.g., water quenching or air quenching) with a cooling rate of 5°C / sec to 150°C / sec or higher to return the product to ambient temperature or room temperature. Cold rolling of the product after the recrystallization process may result in a non-recrystallized aluminum product with deformed grains. One or more cold rolling steps may be performed to yield a final gauge thickness exhibiting a gauge reduction of 25% to 99% compared to the gauge before cold rolling (e.g., a reduction of 25% to 30%, 30% to 35%, 35% to 40%, 40% to 45%, 45% to 50%, 50% to 55%, 55% to 60%, 60% to 65%, 65% to 70%, 70% to 75%, 75% to 80%, 80% to 85%, 85% to 90%, 90% to 95%, or 95% to 99%). In some specific embodiments, the cold rolling process can achieve cold reductions of 55% to 75%, 25% to 90%, 45% to 95%, or 60% to 99%.

[0050] Subsequently, the cast, homogenized, or rolled product may undergo a solution heat treatment step. The solution heat treatment step can be any suitable treatment for the sheet, resulting in solid solution 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 in the PMT for a certain period to form a high-temperature product. For example, the cast, homogenized, or rolled product may be soaked at 480°C for a soaking time of 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). After heating and soaking, the high-temperature product is rapidly cooled to a temperature of 500°C to 200°C at a rate of over 200°C / s to form a heat-treated product. In one example, a high-temperature product is cooled from 450°C to 200°C at a quenching rate exceeding 200°C / second. Optionally, in other cases, the cooling rate can be faster.

[0051] After quenching, the heat-treated product may optionally undergo a pre-aging treatment by reheating before winding. The pre-aging treatment can be carried out at temperatures ranging from approximately 50°C to 125°C for a maximum period of 6 hours. For example, the pre-aging treatment may be carried out at temperatures of approximately 50°C, 55°C, 60°C, 65°C, 70°C, 75°C, 80°C, 85°C, 90°C, 95°C, 100°C, 105°C, 110°C, 115°C, 120°C, or 125°C. Optionally, the pre-aging treatment may be carried out for approximately 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, or 6 hours. The pre-aging treatment can be carried out by passing the heat-treated product through a heating device such as one that emits radiant heat, convective heat, induced heat, or infrared heat.

[0052] Using the cast products described herein, products can be manufactured in the form of sheets, plates, or other suitable product forms. For example, plates containing the products described herein can be prepared by processing an ingot in a homogenization step, or by casting the product in a continuous casting machine and then preparing it in a hot rolling step. In the hot rolling step, the cast product can be hot-rolled to a gauge thickness of 200 mm or less (e.g., about 10 mm to about 200 mm). For example, the cast product can be hot-rolled to plates with a final gauge thickness of 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 plates may be rolled into thinner metal products such as sheets.

[0053] Figure 2 provides a plot showing exemplary temperatures of a cast metal product during various stages of the manufacturing process according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As part of the initial casting stage 205 in which the molten metal is formed into an ingot, casting, or other solid or metal product, the molten metal may be cooled and / or solidified by a process that includes quenching or cooling the metal by exposing it to water or an aqueous solution, for example in a vertical semi-continuous casting process or in a continuous casting process that includes quenching immediately after casting.

[0054] Following the casting stage 205, the metal product may be subjected to a homogenization process 210 in which the metal is heated to a temperature below its melting point or solidus temperature. Optionally, the metal product is heated to a temperature in which the base metal and any alloying elements form a solid solution.

[0055] Following the homogenization process 210, the metal product may be subjected to one or more processes that, for example, stretch the metal product while forming a desired microcrystalline structure within the metal product. Such processes may correspond to, for example, hot rolling 215 and / or cold rolling 220 for forming shades, plates, or sheets from a metal ingot or other casting or metal product.

[0056] In some embodiments, exposing a heated metal product in a quenching or cooling process to a solution such as water, aqueous solution, gas, gas mixture, or gas-phase solution may be used to lower the temperature of the metal product to a temperature desirable or useful for subsequent processes. For example, exposing a metal product to water or an aqueous solution may be useful for cooling the metal product between the hot rolling process 215 and subsequent processing. Tandem and / or disassembly processing are not shown in Figure 2, but such processes can be performed at any suitable temperature.

[0057] Following the hot rolling process 215 and / or the cold rolling process 220 (the cold rolling process 220 may be optional), the metal product may be subjected to an intermediate annealing heat treatment process 225, in which the metal product is heated to a predetermined temperature and held for a time length of 1 hour or less to produce at least partial recrystallization of the metal product. The metal product may optionally be subjected to an additional cold rolling process 230 after the intermediate annealing heat treatment process 225. As shown in Figure 2, the intermediate annealing heat treatment process 225 may use a variety of different peak temperatures, which may depend, for example, on the specific alloy of the metal product and / or specific mechanical or physical properties desired for the final product.

[0058] The metal product may then be subjected to a solution heat treatment process 235, in which the temperature of the metal product is raised to a temperature above a threshold, such as the temperature at which the precipitated components in the metal product dissolve in the solid solution, or the temperature at which a recrystallization process occurs, and is held at or above the threshold temperature for a certain period of time. At the end of the solution heat treatment 235, the metal product may be subjected to a quenching process 240, in which the dissolved components are fixed in place by rapidly lowering the temperature of the metal through the quenching process. Such a quenching process 240 may include exposing the metal product to a solution such as water, an aqueous solution, or a quenching solution containing gas or a mixture of gases.

[0059] In embodiments, the processes outlined in Figure 2 may be performed individually or as part of one or more continuous processing lines in which the metal product may be transported between processing stages as a coil, film, or web of material. The metal product may be transported between stages, for example, by rolling the metal product under tension on or between one or more rollers, or by transporting the metal product on one or more conveyors. Furthermore, other stages not explicitly identified may be included before, between, and / or after any of the stages identified in Figure 2. Other exemplary stages include, but are not limited to, tandem and / or disassembly stages, cleaning stages, chemical treatment stages, or finishing stages. For example, a finishing stage may correspond to a surface anodizing stage, a powder coating stage, a painting stage, a printing stage, and so on.

[0060] Method of using the disclosed aluminum alloy product The aluminum alloy products described herein can be used in automotive applications and other transportation applications, including aircraft and rail applications. For example, the disclosed aluminum alloy products can be used to prepare automotive structural components 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 hoods, outer hoods, or trunk lid panels. The aluminum alloy products and methods described herein can also be used in aircraft or rail vehicle applications to prepare, for example, outer panels and inner panels.

[0061] The aluminum alloy products and methods described herein can also be used in electronic device 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 embodiments, the aluminum alloy products can be used to prepare housings for mobile phones (e.g., smartphones), tablet bottom chassis, and external casings for other portable electronic devices.

[0062] Methods for processing metals and metal alloys This specification describes methods for processing metals and metal alloys, particularly aluminum, aluminum alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, magnesium composites, and steel, as well as the resulting processed metals and metal alloys. In some embodiments, the metals used in the methods described herein include aluminum alloys, for example, 1xxx series aluminum alloys, 2xxx series aluminum alloys, 3xxx series aluminum alloys, 4xxx series aluminum alloys, 5xxx series aluminum alloys, 6xxx series aluminum alloys, 7xxx series aluminum alloys, or 8xxx series aluminum alloys. In some embodiments, the materials used in the methods described herein include non-ferrous materials, for example, aluminum, aluminum alloys, magnesium, magnesium-based materials, magnesium alloys, magnesium composites, titanium, titanium-based materials, titanium alloys, copper, copper-based materials, composites, sheets used in composites, or any other suitable metals, non-metals, or combinations of materials. Monolithic and non-monolithic materials, such as rolled-bonded materials, clad alloys, clad layers, composites (e.g., carbon fiber-containing materials), or various other materials are also useful in the methods described herein. In some embodiments, iron-containing aluminum alloys are useful in the methods described herein.

[0063] As a non-limiting example, exemplary 1xxx series aluminum alloys used 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.

[0064] Non-limiting examples of 2xxx series aluminum alloys used in the methods described herein include AA2001, AA2002, AA2004, AA2005, AA2006, AA2007, AA2007A, AA2007B, AA2008, AA2009, AA2010, AA2011, AA2011A, AA2111, AA2111A, AA2111B, AA2012, AA2013, and AA201 4, AA2014A, 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, AA 2029, AA2030, AA2031, AA2032, AA2034, AA2036, AA2037, AA2038, AA2039, AA2139, AA2040, AA2041, AA2044 , may include AA2045, AA2050, AA2055, AA2056, AA2060, AA2065, AA2070, AA2076, AA2090, AA2091, AA2094, AA2095, AA2195, AA2295, AA2196, AA2296, AA2097, AA2197, AA2297, AA2397, AA2098, AA2198, AA2099, or AA2199.

[0065] Non-limiting examples of 3xxx series aluminum alloys used in the methods described herein include AA3002, AA3102, AA3003, AA3103, AA3103A, AA3103B, AA3203, AA3403, AA3004, AA3004A, AA3104, AA3204, AA3304, AA3005, AA3005A, AA3105, AA3105A, AA3105B, AA3 This may include 007, AA3107, AA3207, AA3207A, AA3307, AA3009, AA3010, AA3110, AA3011, AA3012, AA3012A, AA3013, AA3014, AA3015, AA3016, AA3017, AA3019, AA3020, AA3021, AA3025, AA3026, AA3030, AA3130, or AA3065.

[0066] Examples of non-limiting typical 4xxx series aluminum alloys used in the methods described herein include 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, AA4045, AA4145, AA4145A, AA4046, AA4047, AA4047A, or AA4147.

[0067] Non-limiting examples of 5xxx series aluminum alloys used in the methods described herein include AA5182, AA5183, AA5005, AA5005A, AA5205, AA5305, AA5505, AA5605, AA5006, AA5106, AA5010, AA5110, AA5110A, AA5210, AA5310, AA5016, AA5017, AA5018, AA5018A, AA5019, AA5019A, and AA511 9, AA5119A, AA5021, AA5022, AA5023, AA5024, AA5026, AA5027, AA5028, AA5040, AA5140, AA5041, AA5042, AA5043, AA50 49, AA5149, AA5249, AA5349, AA5449, AA5449A, AA5050, AA5050A, AA5050C, AA5150, AA5051, AA5051A, AA5151, AA5251, A A5251A, AA5351, AA5451, AA5052, AA5252, AA5352, AA5154, AA5154A, AA5154B, AA5154C, AA5254, AA5354, AA5454, AA55 54, AA5654, AA5654A, AA5754, AA5854, AA5954, AA5056, AA5356, AA5356A, AA5456, AA5456A, AA5456B, AA5556, AA5556A This may include AA5556B, AA5556C, AA5257, AA5457, AA5557, AA5657, AA5058, AA5059, AA5070, AA5180, AA5180A, AA5082, AA5182, AA5083, AA5183, AA5183A, AA5283, AA5283A, AA5283B, AA5383, AA5483, AA5086, AA5186, AA5087, AA5187, or AA5088.

[0068] Examples of non-limiting and exemplary aluminum alloys of the Example 6xxx series used in the foregoing are AA6101, AA6101A, AA6101B, AA6201, AA6201A, AA6401, AA6501, AA6002, AA6003, AA6103, AA6005, AA6005A, AA6005B, AA6005C, AA6105, AA6205, AA6305, AA6006, AA6106, AA6206, AA630 6, AA6008, AA6009, AA6010, AA6110, AA6110A, AA6011, AA6111, AA6012, AA6012A, AA6013, AA6113, AA6014, AA6015, A A6016, AA6016A, AA6116, AA6018, AA6019, AA6020, AA6021, AA6022, AA6023, AA6024, AA6025, AA6026, AA6027, AA6028 , AA6031, AA6032, AA6033, AA6040, AA6041, AA6042, AA6043, AA6151, AA6351, AA6351A, AA6451, AA6951, AA6053, AA6 055, AA6056, AA6156, AA6060, AA6160, AA6260, AA6360, AA6460, AA6460B, AA6560, AA6660, AA6061, AA6061A, AA6261 This may include 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.

[0069] Non-limiting and alternative 7xxx series aluminum alloys used in the methods described herein include AA7011, AA7019, AA7020, AA7021, AA7039, AA7072, AA7075, AA7085, AA7108, AA7108A, AA7015, AA7017, AA7018, AA7019A, AA7024, AA7025, AA7 028, AA7030, AA7031, AA7033, AA7035, AA7035A, AA7046, AA7046A, AA7003, AA7004, AA7005, AA7 009, AA7010, AA7011, AA7012, AA7014, AA7016, AA7116, AA7122, A7023, AA7026, AA7029, AA7129 , AA7229, AA7032, AA7033, AA7034, AA7036, AA7136, AA7037, AA7040, AA7140, AA7041, AA7049, A A7049A, AA7149, AA7204, AA7249, AA7349, AA7449, AA7050, AA7050A, AA7150, AA7250, AA7055, A May include A7155, AA7255, AA7056, AA7060, AA7064, AA7065, AA7068, AA7168, AA7175, AA7475, AA7076, AA7178, AA7278, AA7278A, AA7081, AA7181, AA7185, AA7090, AA7093, AA7095, or AA7099.

[0070] Non-limiting and exemplary 8xxx series aluminum alloys used in the method described herein include AA8005, AA8006, AA8007, AA8008, AA8010, AA8011, AA8011A, AA8111, AA8211, AA8112, AA8014, AA8015, AA8016, AA8017, AA8018, AA8019, AA8021, This may include AA8021A, AA8021B, AA8022, AA8023, AA8024, AA8025, AA8026, AA8030, AA8130, AA8040, AA8050, AA8150, AA8076, AA8076A, AA8176, AA8077, AA8177, AA8079, AA8090, AA8091, or AA8093.

[0071] The embodiments disclosed herein are helpful in further illustrating aspects of the invention, but at the same time, do not constitute any limitation thereof. On the contrary, it should be clearly understood that it may be necessary to rely on various embodiments, modifications thereof, and equivalents. These may be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention after reading the description herein. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the examples and embodiments described herein may also utilize prior procedures. Some procedures are described herein for illustrative purposes.

[0072] Example 1 Conventional casting techniques are used to prepare ingots containing AA6005C and AA6016 alloys. Aluminum alloy sheet metal samples are prepared from ingots by homogenization, hot rolling, and cold rolling, with an intermediate annealing-recrystallization process used during cold rolling.

[0073] Reference AA6005C sample contains 0.68 wt% Si, 0.17 wt% Cu, and 0.62 wt% Mg. First AA6005C sample contains 0.65 wt% Si, 0.40 wt% Fe, 0.12 wt% Cu, 0.25 wt% Mn, 0.55 wt% Mg, 0.025 wt% Cr, 0.035 wt% Zn, and 0.03 wt% Ti. First AA6005 sample represents the lower limit of elements in casting. Second AA6005C sample contains 0.70 wt% Si, 0.45 wt% Fe, 0.17 wt% Cu, 0.3 wt% Mn, 0.65 wt% Mg, 0.03 wt% Cr, 0.045 wt% Zn, and 0.04 wt% Ti. The second AA6005C sample represents the upper limit of elements in casting. The first and second AA6005C samples are designed to balance the amounts of Mg and Si based on the amount of Fe. Furthermore, the first and second AA6005C samples are designed to balance Fe and Mn, promote the alpha phase compared to other reference alloys, and reduce the Cr limit. For example, the composition of the first AA6005C sample is designed to target (Mn+Cr) / Fe > 0.55. The composition of the second AA6005C sample investigates the concept of a complete alpha intermetallic compound by increasing the amount of Mn to 0.3 wt% and targeting a (Mn+Cr) / Fe ratio > 0.7.

[0074] The reference AA6016 sample contains 1.125 wt% Si, 0.09 wt% Cu, 0.16 wt% Mn, 0.43 wt% Mg, 0.015 wt% Cr, and 0.02 wt% Ti. The first AA6016 sample contains 1.00 wt% Si, 0.3 wt% Fe, 0.04 wt% Cu, 0.15 wt% Mn, 0.38 wt% Mg, 0.025 wt% Cr, 0.035 wt% Zn, and 0.03 wt% Ti. The first AA6016 sample represents the lower limit of elements in casting. The second AA6016 sample contains 1.20 wt% Si, 0.35 wt% Fe, 0.14 wt% Cu, 0.20 wt% Mn, 0.48 wt% Mg, 0.03 wt% Cr, 0.045 wt% Zn, and 0.04 wt% Ti. The second AA6016 sample represents the upper limit of elements in casting. The first and second AA6016 samples are designed to balance Fe and Mn, promote the alpha phase compared to other reference alloys, and reduce the Cr limit. For example, the compositions of the first and second AA6016 samples are designed to target (Mn+Cr) / Fe > 0.6.

[0075] Using Jmatpro, various sample compositions were evaluated to simulate phases in various alloys and determine various properties of the alloys. Figure 3 shows the determined weight percent phases of a reference AA6005C sample over different temperatures. Figure 4 shows the determined weight percent phases of the first AA6005C sample over different temperatures. Figure 5 shows the determined weight percent phases of the second AA6005C sample over different temperatures. Figure 6 shows the determined weight percent phases of the third AA6005C sample over different temperatures. The first and second AA6005C samples demonstrate that the main increase in intermetallic compounds is in the alpha phase. In the third AA6005C sample, the beta phase is the lowest.

[0076] Figure 7 shows the determined weight percent phases of a reference AA6016 sample over different temperatures. Figure 8 shows the determined weight percent phases of a first AA6016 sample over different temperatures. Figure 9 shows the determined weight percent phases of a second AA6016 sample over different temperatures. The first and second AA6016 samples demonstrate that the main increase in intermetallic compounds is in the alpha phase. Furthermore, the presence of the beta phase is significantly reduced at 400–500°C.

[0077] Figure 10 shows the determined critical temperatures for the AA6005C and AA6016 samples. Figure 11 shows the determined sorbus temperatures of the precipitates for the AA6005C and AA6016 samples. The sorbus temperature of the AA6005C sample appears to be dominated by Mg2Si, while that of the AA6016 sample appears to be dominated by Si. Both sets of samples have slightly lower sorbus temperatures than their reference samples. These findings indicate that the alpha fraction improves with increasing Fe and Mn, and that the samples contain more alpha-phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles than beta-phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles. No unexpected phases are formed in new samples. Furthermore, the sorbus temperature increases slightly with increasing Fe, Mn, and Cr.

[0078] Exemplary embodiments Any reference to a set of embodiments (e.g., "Embodiments 1-4") or a group of embodiments not listed (e.g., "any preceding or succeeding embodiment") should be understood as a disjunctive reference to each of those embodiments (e.g., "Embodiments 1-4" should be understood as "Embodiments 1, 2, 3, or 4").

[0079] Embodiment 1 is an aluminum alloy containing Al, Mn, Cr, and Fe, wherein the ratio of the total amount of Mn and Cr to the amount of Fe is greater than 0.6, and at least a portion of the aluminum alloy contains recycled aluminum.

[0080] Embodiment 2 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, wherein the aluminum alloy is a 6xxx series aluminum alloy.

[0081] Embodiment 3 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, comprising about 0.65% to about 1.2% by weight of Si, up to about 0.45% by weight of Fe, 0.04% to 0.17% by weight of Cu, up to about 0.4% by weight of Mn, about 0.4% to about 0.65% by weight of Mg, up to about 0.14% by weight of Cr, up to about 0.045% by weight of Zn, up to about 0.04% by weight of Ti, and the remainder being Al and unavoidable impurities.

[0082] Embodiment 4 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, further comprising Zn, wherein the ratio of the total amount of Mn, Cr, and Zn to the amount of Fe is greater than 0.6.

[0083] Embodiment 5 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, containing approximately 0.035% to 0.045% by weight of Zn.

[0084] Embodiment 6 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, containing up to 0.14% by weight of Cr.

[0085] Embodiment 7 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, containing approximately 0.025% to 0.03% by weight of Cr.

[0086] Embodiment 8 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, containing up to 0.4% by weight of Mn.

[0087] Embodiment 9 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, containing approximately 0.15% to 0.25% by weight of Mn.

[0088] Embodiment 10 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, comprising at least 0.2% by weight of Mn.

[0089] Embodiment 11 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, containing up to 0.3% by weight of Mn.

[0090] Embodiment 12 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, containing up to 0.45% by weight of Fe.

[0091] Embodiment 13 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, containing approximately 0.3% to 0.35% by weight of Fe.

[0092] Embodiment 14 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, wherein the ratio is greater than 0.7.

[0093] Embodiment 15 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, wherein the aluminum alloy contains up to 50% recycled aluminum.

[0094] Embodiment 16 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, further comprising about 0.4% to about 0.65% by weight of Mg.

[0095] Embodiment 17 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, further comprising about 0.65% to about 1.2% by weight of Si.

[0096] Embodiment 18 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, further comprising about 0.04% to about 0.17% by weight of Cu.

[0097] Embodiment 19 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, further comprising about 0.03% to about 0.04% by weight of Ti.

[0098] Embodiment 20 is an aluminum alloy according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, which contains more alpha-phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles than beta-phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles.

[0099] Embodiment 21 is a metal product containing an aluminum alloy as described in any of the prior embodiments.

[0100] Embodiment 22 is a vehicle body component comprising a metal product described in any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments.

[0101] Embodiment 23 is a method for producing a metal product from an aluminum alloy described in any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, comprising: casting the aluminum alloy to produce a cast product; homogenizing the cast product to produce a homogenized product; hot rolling the homogenized product to produce a rolled product; subjecting the rolled product to a recrystallization process following the hot rolling, wherein the rolled product has a gauge of about 3.5 mm to 5 mm during the recrystallization process; and cold rolling the rolled product one or more times to produce the metal product.

[0102] Embodiment 24 is the method according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the recrystallization process includes exposing the rolled product to a temperature of about 350°C to about 500°C for a maximum of 20 minutes.

[0103] Embodiment 25 is the method according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the recrystallization process includes exposing the rolled product to a temperature of about 350°C to about 450°C for a maximum of 20 minutes.

[0104] Embodiment 26 is a method according to any of the preceding or succeeding embodiments, wherein the recrystallization process is performed immediately after the hot rolling step.

[0105] Embodiment 27 is the method of any of the prior embodiments, further comprising cold-rolling the rolled product one or more times before the recrystallization process.

[0106] Embodiment 28 is a metal product manufactured according to the method described in any of the prior embodiments.

[0107] Embodiment 29 is an automobile body part comprising a metal product described in any of the prior embodiments.

[0108] All patents and publications cited herein are incorporated in their entirety by reference. The foregoing description of embodiments, including the exemplary embodiments, is provided for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the exact forms disclosed. Many of its modifications, adaptations, and uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An aluminum alloy comprising Al, Mn, Cr, and Fe, wherein the ratio of the total amount of Mn and Cr to the amount of Fe is greater than 0.6, and at least a portion of the aluminum alloy contains recycled aluminum.

2. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy is a 6xxx series aluminum alloy.

3. Approximately 0.65% to 1.2% by weight of Si, Fe up to approximately 0.45% by weight, 0.04% to 0.17% by weight of Cu, A maximum of approximately 0.4% by weight of Mn, Approximately 0.38% to 0.65% by weight of Mg, A maximum of approximately 0.14% by weight of Cr, A maximum of approximately 0.045% by weight of Zn, With a maximum of approximately 0.04% by weight of Ti, The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, comprising the remainder Al and unavoidable impurities.

4. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, further comprising Zn, wherein the ratio of the total amount of Mn, Cr, and Zn to the amount of Fe is greater than 0.

6.

5. The aluminum alloy according to claim 4, comprising approximately 0.035% to 0.045% by weight of Zn.

6. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, comprising up to 0.14% by weight of Cr.

7. The aluminum alloy according to claim 6, comprising approximately 0.025% to 0.03% by weight of Cr.

8. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, comprising up to 0.4% by weight of Mn.

9. The aluminum alloy according to claim 8, comprising approximately 0.15% to 0.3% by weight of Mn.

10. The aluminum alloy according to claim 8, comprising at least 0.2% by weight of Mn.

11. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, comprising up to 0.3% by weight of Mn.

12. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, comprising up to 0.45% by weight of Fe.

13. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, comprising approximately 0.3% to 0.4% by weight of Fe.

14. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is greater than 0.

7.

15. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy contains up to 100% recycled aluminum.

16. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, further comprising approximately 0.38% to 0.65% by weight of Mg.

17. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, further comprising approximately 0.65% to 1.2% by weight of Si.

18. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, further comprising approximately 0.04% to 0.17% by weight of Cu.

19. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, further comprising approximately 0.03% to 0.04% by weight of Ti.

20. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, comprising more alpha-phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles than beta-phase Fe-containing intermetallic particles.

21. A metal product comprising an aluminum alloy as described in any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. A transport vehicle body part comprising the metal product described in claim 21.

23. A method for producing a metal product from an aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 20, Casting the aforementioned aluminum alloy to produce a cast product, Homogenizing the aforementioned cast product to produce a homogenized product, The homogenized product is hot-rolled to produce a rolled product, The process involves subjecting the rolled product to a recrystallization process following hot rolling, wherein the rolled product has a gauge of approximately 3.5 mm to 5 mm during the recrystallization process. The method comprising cold-rolling the rolled product once or more times to produce the metal product.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the recrystallization process comprises exposing the rolled product to a temperature of about 350°C to about 500°C for a maximum of 20 minutes.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the recrystallization process comprises exposing the rolled product to a temperature of about 350°C to about 450°C for a maximum of 20 minutes.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the recrystallization process is performed immediately after the hot rolling step.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising cold-rolling the rolled product one or more times prior to the recrystallization process.

28. A metal product manufactured according to the method described in any one of claims 23 to 27.

29. Automobile body part comprising the metal product described in claim 28.

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