Aluminium Pechiney

Aluminum Pechiney

Pechiney Rhenalu

Constellium France

Michel Leroy

Yves Bertaud

Jean-Francois Verdier

Jean Muller

Bernard Langon

Maurice Keinborg

Laurent Calaque

Gerard Picard

Joseph Chaffy

Christian Duval

Alain Noizet

Didier Valax

Jean-François Verdier

Marc Marticou

Evelyne Prat

Jean-Remi Butruille

Bruno Chenal

Philippe Varin

Jean-Rémi Butruille

A manufacturing process for a remelt block containing aluminum designed for making aluminum alloy for the aircraft industry in which scrap containing mainly aluminum alloys used in the aircraft industry is supplied during a supply stage, the scrap is melted in a smelting furnace in order to obtain an initial molten metal bath during a smelting stage, the initial molten metal bath is subjected to purification by fractional crystallization in order to obtain a solidified mass and a bath of residual liquid during a segregation stage, and the solidified mass is recovered in order to obtain a remelt block during a recovery stage. The invention is particularly useful for the recycling of aluminum alloys used in the aircraft industry as it makes it possible to purify scrap of series 2XXX or series 7XXX alloys for iron and silicon, without eliminating additive elements such as zinc, copper and magnesium.

Process for recycling aluminum alloy scrap coming from the aeronautical industry

Stabilizer conductor comprising an aluminum based cryogenic stabilizer

Aluminium alloy semi-finished product manufacturing process using recycled raw materials

An aluminum bloom more than 99.95% pure is obtained by segregation of aluminum from an impure parent liquor. Heat supplied to the parent liquor during growth of the bloom is adjusted as a function of the height of the bloom.

Process and device for purification of aluminum by segregation

Aluminum alloy semi-finished product manufacturing process using recycled raw materials

The invention concerns a cathode pulverization target characterized in that its active part, i.e. the volume of the target capable of being removed during the cathode pulverization, consists of a high purity aluminum alloy simultaneously containing copper and iron and having simultaneously a recrystallization temperature well above 20&deg; C. and an electric resistivity less than 2.85 &mgr;&OHgr;.cm at 20&deg; C. The use of the target for making bonding circuits reduces the frequency at which voids and hillocks appear, while maintaining the resistance of the bonding circuits at values comparable to the resistance obtained with a high purity aluminum alloy, while also providing the etching characteristics comparable to those of high purity aluminum alloy.

Cathodic sputtering targets made of aluminum alloy

A process using ultrasonic inspection for testing the internal soundness of cathode sputtering targets, whose active part is made of aluminum with a very high degree of purity or a very pure aluminum alloy, consisting, after selection of an ultrasound sensor functioning at an operating frequency greater than 5 MHz, preferably between 10 and 50 MHz, and adjusting the appropriate measurement sequence, using a target immersed in a liquid and which has ceratin artificial defects simulating decohesions in the target, taking a count in terms of size and number of the internal decohesions per unit volume and selecting, for the applications requiring a very high degree of etching fineness, the targets with a decohesion density of .ltoreq.0.1 decohesion larger than 0.1 mm/cm.sup.3 of active metal of the target, and cathode sputtering targets selected according to the process having no more than 0.1 internal decohesion larger than 0.1 mm/cm.sup.3 of active metal of the target.

Cathode sputtering targets selected by ultrasonic inspection for their

A process is provided for ultrasonic testing the internal soundness of cathode sputtering targets including an active part made of very pure aluminum or of very pure aluminum alloy. In particular, this process, after the choice of an ultrasound sensor functioning at an operating frequency greater than 5 MHZ, and preferably between 10 and 50 MHZ, and adjustment of the appropriate measurement sequence, using a target immersed in a liquid and having certain artificial defects simulating the decohesions in the target, consists of taking a count in terms of size and number of the internal decohesions per unit volume and of selecting the targets with a decohesion density of .ltoreq.0.1 decohesion larger than 0.1 mm per cm.sup.3 of active metal of the targets, and preferably less than 0.1 decohesion larger than 0.04 mm per cm.sup.3 of active metal. The process also pertains to selecting precursors of the cathode sputtering targets, containing less than 0.1 internal decohesion larger than 0.04 mm per cm.sup.3.

Cathode sputtering targets with a low level of particle emission,

An aluminum alloy containing at least one alloying metal selected from the group consisting of bismuth, cadmium, indium and lead in a quantity greater than the maximum solubility of the metal in solid aluminum. More than 80% by weight of the alloying metals are finely dispersed in a solid aluminum matrix in the form of globules or crystals with a size of less than 5 micrometers. The alloy can be obtained by means of mechanical or electromagnetic agitation of the alloy in the course of solidifying, and in the case of continuously casting a liquid alloy, the agitation can be accomplished by means of an alternating magnetic field which is coaxial to the continuous casting axis.

Aluminum alloys containing very finely dispersed bismuth, cadmium,

Electrorefined aluminium with a low content of uranium, thorium and rare

The invention concerns a process and apparatus for electrochemical measurement of the concentration of oxide ions dissolved in a bath based on molten halides. The process is based on impedance measurement at a low current and a low overvoltage, between an indicator electrode, a reference electrode and a counter electrodes. The real value Z.sub.r of the impedance is determined for two frequencies, a low frequency Zr(B) (such as 15-25 Hz) and a high frequency Zr(H) (such as 10-100 kHz); the inverse of the concentration of oxide ions is a linear function of the difference between Zr(B) and Zr(H). This method has a high level of accuracy in the low ranges of concentration of oxide ions.

Process for electrochemical measurement of the concentration of oxide

The invention concerns a superstructure for a tank for the production of aluminum using the Hall-Heroult process by the electrolysis of alumina in molten cryolite, the tank being formed by a rigid metal heat-insulated casing of elongate parallelepipedic shape, the two ends of which are referred to as heads, and a superstructure formed by at least one rigid beam disposed along the long length of the casing, supporting in particular the anodic bus and the anodes and resting at its two ends on supports disposed at the two head ends of the tank, said superstructure being characterized in that each rigid beam is supported on at least one intermediate gantry in the central part thereof. The gantry may comprise four legs so as to constitute an inherently stable structure or it may be formed by two half-elements each provided with two legs. Preferably, each rigid beam is divided into two equal portions, the central ends of which are supported on the gantry.

Electrolysis tank superstructure with intermediate gantry, for the

The invention relates to a circuit for electrical connection between two successive cells of a series or row, designed for the production of aluminium by electrolysis of alumina dissolved in molten cryolite by the Hall-Heroult process at an intensity of at least 150 kA and possibly attaining from 500 to 600 kA. The circuit for the electrical supply of the cells comprises, in addition to the circuit 8 for the supply of electrolysis current, a distinct circuit 17 for correcting and balancing the magnetic fields which is formed by conductors which are substantially parallel to the axis of the series and are traversed by a direct current in the same direction as the electrolysis current which creates, in the cells, a vertical correcting magnetic field directed downwards close to the left-hand heads of the cells and directed upwards close to the right-hand heads of the cells. The total current J2 traversing the magnetic correcting circuit is at most equal to the electrolysis current J1 and is preferably between 4 and 80% of J1.

Device for connection between very high intensity electrolysis cells for

A process is disclosed for accurately maintaining a low alumina content of between 1 and 4.5% in a cell for the production of aluminum by electrolysis in the Hall-Heroult process. According to the invention, a control parameter P=-1/D(dR.sub.1 /dt), is determined, wherein D is the variation in the alumina content of the electrolytic bath in % weight per hour, R.sub.1 is the internal resistance of the cell, and t is the time. A series of operations is then carried out in a repeated cycle, starting with the cell being fed alumina at a nominal rate which is substantially equal to the quantity consumed by electrolysis. At periodic intervals, an over-supply of alumina is added in order to enrich the bath, and the over-supply is continued for a preset time during which dR.sub.1 dt is negative. The feed rate is then reduced to less than the nominal feed rate, during which time dR.sub.1 dt passes through zero to become positive and the regulation parameter P, the value of which tends to rise, is measured often. The successive values of P are compared with a required preset value Po. As soon as P equals Po, the feed rate is returned to the nominal feed rate and a new cycle is recommenced.

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St Egreve, France

Michel Leroy