Southwire Company, LLC

Enrique C Chia

Roger J Schoerner

Daniel B Cofer

Theodor W Kaltenberg

Helge O Forberg

John E Burnitt

John E Burnitte

This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing an aluminum alloy electrical conductor which promote the formation of a wire having a fine, stable subgrain structure of small cell size in the aluminum matrix and a fine dispersion of stable, insoluble intermetallic phase particles. The subgrain structure is improved by closely controlling the thermomechanical processing, particularly the casting rate, deformation parameters and annealing characteristics. After casting, the cast product is substantially immediately hot-formed in a rolling mill wherein the first deformation is more than 30% such that a substantially well defined subgrain structure will be formed in the aluminum matrix, thereby maximizing a refinement of the subgrain structure by permitting breaking-up thereof in each of the subsequent deformations in the rolling mill. After cold-working, without preliminary or intermediate anneals, the product is finally annealed at a temperature not exceeding approximately 700.degree. F.

Method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy electrical conductor

A system for continuously quench-pickling cast rod from a continuous casting machine wherein molten metal is poured into a mold of a casting device and cooled and solidified into a continuous solid bar, the bar is elongated and reduced in its cross-sectional area to form continuous rod, and the rod is arranged in a coil. The surface of the hot rod from the rolling mill is contacted with a pickling fluid, such as a citric acid solution, after the rod leaves the rolling mill and before the rod is arranged in a coil, to simultaneously quench and pickle the rod.

Apparatus for pickling cast rod

This disclosure relates to a high tensile strength aluminum alloy electrical conductor that is manufactured by alloying at least one alloying element with molten aluminum in sufficient proportion to yield intermetallic precipitates during subsequent solidification and thermomechanical processing. The conductor is in the form of a hard-drawn wire which is annealed at a temperature within the range corresponding to the onset of recovery such that there will be produced secondary intermetallic precipitates corresponding to the primary precipitates which come out of solution during casting, whereby both the primary and secondary precipitates act to pin dislocation sites between adjacent subgrain boundaries in the aluminum matrix thereby increasing the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the conductor.

High tensile strength aluminum alloy conductor and method of manufacture

This disclosure relates to an aluminum alloy electrical conductor which contains from about 0.20% to about 1.60% by weight nickel, from about 0.30% to about 1.30% iron, optionally up to 2.00% of additional specified alloying elements, and the remainder aluminum with associated trace elements. The conductors are processed in a continuous operation which includes continuous casting, hot-rolling in the as-cast condition to form continuous rod, cold-working of the rod by drawing it through a series of wire-drawing dies, without preliminary or intermediate anneals, and thereafter annealing the wire to achieve a minimum electrical conductivity of 58% IACS, an ultimate tensile strength of at least 12,000 psi, a yield strength of at least 8,000 psi and an elongation of at least 12% when measured as a No. 10 AWG wire. The additional alloying elements are precisely controlled in order to facilitate the continuous processing of the cast bar without splitting and cracking of the subsequently rolled and cold-drawn rod.

Aluminum-iron-nickel alloy electrical conductor

Aluminum alloy electrical conductors are produced from aluminum base alloys containing from about 0.20 percent to about 1.60 percent by weight nickel, from about 0.30 percent to 1.30 percent iron, optionally up to about 1.00 percent of additional alloying elements, the remainder being aluminum with associated trace elements. The alloy conductors have an electrical conductivity of at least fifty-seven percent (57%), based on the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS), and improved properties of increased thermal stability, tensile strength, percent ultimate elongation, ductility, fatigue resistance and yield strength as compared to conventional aluminum alloys of similar electrical properties.

Aluminum-nickel-iron alloy electrical conductor

Forming apparatus with roller guide tube

A method of treating molten aluminum and aluminum alloys to remove solid and gaseous impurities therefrom is disclosed. Molten metal is flowed through an integrated series of successively arranged purification stages including a deslagging stage wherein relatively large particulate impurities are removed from the molten metal by filtering the same through a woven refractory filter, a fluxing stage for removing entrapped and dissolved hydrogen from the molten metal, an adsorption stage wherein the molten metal is passed over a plurality of impurity-adsorbing refractory plates and a final filtration stage wherein the finer particulate impurities are removed by filtering the molten metal through a rigid, porous refractory filter medium.

Method of treating molten metal

A method of and apparatus for treating molten aluminum and aluminum alloys to remove solid and gaseous impurities therefrom are disclosed. Molten metal is flowed through an integrated series of successively arranged purification stages including a deslagging stage wherein relatively large particulate impurities are removed from the molten metal by filtering the same through a woven refractory filter, a fluxing stage for removing entrapped and dissolved hydrogen from the molten metal, an adsorption stage wherein the molten metal is passed over a plurality of impurity-adsorbing refractory plates and a final filtration stage wherein the finer particulate impurities are removed by filtering the molten metal through a rigid, porous refractory filter medium.

Molten metal filter

Apparatus for continuous pickling of cast rod

A method of and apparatus for uniformly dispersing a gas into a molten metal bath by supplying gas to a rotatably mounted distributor located at a submerged zone beneath the bath surface while preventing physical contact between the gas and the molten metal; emitting the gas from the distributor in the form of a plurality of bubble jets into contact with the molten metal at said zone, said bubble jets exerting a reaction force on the distributor; and agitating the molten metal to effect uniform dispersion of the gas emitted therein by whirling the bubble jets in the molten metal, said whirling being accomplished by rotating the distributor in response to said reaction forces. The apparatus comprises a supply conduit connected at one end to a source of pressurized gas and connected at the other end to a rotatable hollow sleeve immersed in the molten metal. An array of apertures extend through the sleeve for discharging the gas into the molten metal in the form of numerous gas bubble jets and the apertures are arranged to discharge the gas bubble jets in mutually cooperative jetting directions to rotationally propel the sleeve about the supply conduit. The rotary movement of the sleeve causes the gas bubble jets to whirl about in the molten metal thereby agitating the molten metal to effect uniform dispersion of the gas within the molten metal.

Method for dispersing gas into a molten metal

Aluminum alloy electrical conductors are produced from aluminum base alloys containing from about 0.55 percent to about 0.95 percent by weight nickel, optionally up to about 2.00 percent of additional alloying elements, and from about 97.45 percent to about 99.45 percent by weight aluminum. The alloy conductors have an electrical conductivity of at least 57 percent, based on the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS), and improved properties of increased thermal stability, tensile strength, percent ultimate elongation, ductility, fatigue resistance and yield strength as compared to conventional aluminum alloys of similar electrical properties.

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Carrollton, GA, United States of America

Enrique C Chia