Aluminum Company of America

Alcoa Inc.

Aloca Inc.

Anthony Morales

Dhruba J Chakrabarti

Paul E Magnusen

Robert W Westerlund

Gerald D Scott

Barrie S Shabel

Daniel T Moulton

Anne E Zemo

Roberto J Rioja

Gregory B Venema

Diana K Denzer

Anne E Roberts

A process for improving 6XXX alloys, such as 6013, preferably includes heating, hot rolling, inter-rolling thermal treatment at a very high temperature such as 1020&#xb0; F. or more, again hot rolling (with or without subsequent continuous hot rolling or cold rolling or both), solution heat treating and artificial aging. The initial heating, inter-rolling, thermal treatment and solution treatment, especially the latter two, are carried out at very high temperatures such as 1030&#xb0; F. Each aforesaid hot rolling stage produces substantial metal thickness reduction. The improved sheet or plate product has a substantially reduced occurrence of reduced density features revealed in scanning electron microscope examination at 500X and exhibits improved (reduced) fatigue crack growth rate providing an advantage in aerospace applications such as fuselage skin, especially fuselage belly skin.

Process to improve 6XXX alloys by reducing altered density sites

A process for improving 6XXX alloys, such as 6013, preferably includes heating, hot rolling, inter-rolling thermal treatment at a very high temperature such as 1020&deg; F. or more, again hot rolling (with or without subsequent continuous hot rolling or cold rolling or both), solution heat treating and artificial aging. The initial heating, inter-rolling, thermal treatment and solution treatment, especially the latter two, are carried out at very high temperatures such as 1030&deg; F. Each aforesaid hot rolling stage produces substantial metal thickness reduction. The improved sheet or plate product has a substantially reduced occurrence of reduced density features revealed in scanning electron microscope examination at 500&times; and exhibits improved (reduced) fatigue crack growth rate providing an advantage in aerospace applications such as fuselage skin, especially fuselage belly skin.

Aluminum sheet products having highly anisotropic grain microstructures and highly textured crystallographic microstructures are disclosed. The products exhibit improved strength and improved resistance to fatigue crack growth, as well as other advantageous properties such as improved combinations of strength and fracture toughness. The sheet products are useful for aerospace and other applications, particularly aircraft fuselages.

Aluminum sheet products having improved fatigue crack growth resistance and methods of making same

Disclosed is an aluminum alloy suitable for high temperature applications comprised of at least 9 wt. % Si, 3 to 7 wt. % Ni, 1.5 to 6 wt. % Cu, at least one of the elements selected from Mg, Mn, V, Sc, Fe, Ti, Sr, Zn, B and Cr, the remainder aluminum and impurities.

Aluminum alloy suitable for pistons

Disclosed is an aluminum alloy suitable for high temperature applications comprised of at least 9.0 wt. % Si, 3.0 to 7.0 wt. % Ni, 1.5 to 6.0 wt. % Cu, at least one of the elements selected from Mg, Mn, V, Sc, Fe, Ti, Sr, Zn, B and Cr, the remainder aluminum and impurities.

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Bettendorf, IA, United States of America

Anthony Morales