Alcan International Limited

Novelis, Inc.

John Fitzsimon

Iljoon Jin

Ronald Roger Desrosiers

David James Lloyd

Andr&eacute; Larouche

Kevin Michael Gatenby

Pierre Henri Marois

Michael Jackson Bull

Alok Kumar Gupta

Paul A Wycliffe

Willard Mark Truman Gallerneault

Ichiro Okamoto

Masahiko Katano

Gene Burger

Ed Luce

Andre Larouche

A twin-belt casting machine for casting metal strip. The machine is provided with a casting cavity which includes an upstream fixed casting region, in which the belts are in fixed convergent paths in contact with the cast slab, and an adjacent downstream portion in which the belts are adjustable between alignment with the fixed convergent paths and non-alignment therewith (being less convergent or divergent). When the adjustable portions of the paths are moved outwardly relative to the fixed convergent paths, the belts separate from the cast slab at differing predetermined points within the casting cavity. By adjusting the downstream portion of the casting cavity in this manner, the casting machine can operate at essentially constant throughput for a wide range of alloys while ensuring that the cast slab exiting the caster has a temperature within a predetermined range suitable for further rolling to produce sheet product.

Belt casting machine having adjustable contact length with cast metal slab

A process of casting a molten metal to form a cast metal strip ingot while controlling heat flux from the cast metal. The process comprises continuously supplying molten metal to a casting cavity formed between a pair of moving continuous casting surfaces that withdraw heat from the molten metal to cause metal solidification, and continuously withdrawing a resulting cast strip ingot from the casting cavity. A gas (e.g. air) containing water vapour substantially without liquid water (i.e. a moist gas) is supplied to the inlet of the casting cavity in a region containing the meniscus formed where the molten metal first contacts the casting surfaces. The moist gas has the effect of adjusting the heat withdrawal by the casting surfaces to minimize surface defects in the cast strip ingot and to avoid undesired distortion of the casting cavity. Furthermore, in those cases where a parting agent is applied to the casting surfaces, the amount of parting agent applied to the casting surfaces may be reduced. The invention also relates to equipment provided for the delivery and dewpoint control of the moist gas.

Control of heat flux in continuous metal casters

A continuous cast aluminum alloy strip is used in the production of thin gauge or converter foils. The alloy strip contains 0.4 to 0.8% by weigth Fe and 0.2 to 0.4% by weight Si, has an an cast thickness of less than about 30 mm and contains a substantially single intermetallic species of alpha-phase. The strip is cast using a continuous strip caster, e.g. a block or belt caster.

Production of aluminum alloy strip for use in making thin gauge foils

An aluminum alloy strip useful for can stock having a thickness of less than or equal to about 30 mm, and containing large (Mn,Fe)Al.sub.6 intermetallics as principal intermetallic particles in said strip. The intermetallic particles have an average surface size at a surface of the strip and an average bulk size in a bulk of the strip, the average surface size being greater than the average bulk size. The strip article may be produced by supplying a molten aluminum alloy having a composition consisting, in addition to aluminum, essentially by weight of: Si between 0.05 and 0.15%; Fe between 0.3 and 0.6%; Mn between 0.6 and 1.2%; Mg between 1.1 and 1.8%; Cu between 0.2 and 0.6%; and other elements: less than or equal to 0.05% each element with a maximum of 0.2% for the total of other elements; and casting the molten alloy in a continuous caster having opposed moving mold surfaces to an as-cast thickness of less than or equal to 30 mm. The moving mold surfaces have a surface roughness of between 4 and 13 microns, substantially in the form of sharp peaks, and heat flux is extracted from the metal at a rate that results in the production of an interdendritic arm spacing of between 12 and 18 microns at the surface of said strip. The strip may then be processed to final thickness by means of rolling and annealing steps.

Cast aluminum alloy for can stock and process for producing the alloy

A process of manufacturing aluminum can body stock involving the following steps. A molten aluminum alloy is prepared, the alloy containing Mg in the range 1.1 to 1.5% by weight, Mn in the range 0.4 to 0.9% by weight, Cu in the range 0.2 to 0.4% by weight, Fe in the range 0.2 to 0.7% by weight, Si in the range 0.07 to 0.3% by weight, all other elements each less than 0.05% by weight to a maximum of 0.2% for all other elements. The alloy is cast in a continuous strip casting process to produce a slab having a thickness of at least 9 mm. The slab is rolled using at least 83% reduction to produce a re-roll strip. The re-roll strip is coiled to form a coil and the coil to cool is allowed to cool naturally. The re-roll strip is then annealed and cold rolled to a final gauge of between 0.26 and 0.4 mm, using a reduction of between 75 and 85%, with no interanneal. The resulting strip can be used as can body stock having a 45 degree earing of less than 3% and a yield strength after stoving of at least 38.5 ksi (265 MPa).

Process for producing aluminum alloy can body stock

An alloy of aluminum containing magnesium, silicon and optionally copper in amounts in percent by weight falling within one of the following ranges:

Aluminum alloys and process for making aluminum alloy sheet

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Kingston, Canada

John Fitzsimon