Swiss Aluminium Ltd.

Swiss Aluminum Ltd.

Pedro Rodrigues

Jurgen Timm

Heinz Bichsel

Frank Wehner

Gunter Hollrigl

Ingo Buren

In a process for manufacturing a fine-grained recrystallized sheet of heat-treatable i.e. age-hardenable aluminum alloy containing an addition of at least one of the elements Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W amounting in total to 0.08-1.50%, the alloy is brought into a condition A in which the alloying elements that lead to age-hardening and the above mentioned additive elements are, at least for the greater part, in solid solution, following which in step B the incoherent hardening phases are precipitated out in a temperature range between the solvus T.sub.gps and the solvus T.sub.s, and in a subsequent step C the aluminides of the above mentioned elements are precipitated as a very dense uniform dispersion by heating in a temperature range between 300.degree. C. and T.sub.s -30.degree. C., whereby any deformation by rolling may take place between condition A and step C at temperatures not higher than T.sub.s -30.degree. C., and in which process the temperature of the sheet below a thickness or 2.5 xd does not exceed 200.degree. C., and the sheet at thickness d is heated to a recrystallization treatment D such that the heating rate is at least 20.degree. C./s until above the recrystallization threshold.

Process for manufacturing a fine-grained recrystallized sheet

A thin, plastically formable composite laminate features at least one metallic outer layer (14) and a core (10) of thermoplastic plastic. The metallic outer layers (14) exhibit a flat stress-strain curve which is similar to that of the plastic core (10) and is achieved by specific types of aluminum alloys and by specific alloy treatments. The, preferably 1.5-2.5 mm thick, composite laminates are employed for the manufacture of shaped parts in light weight constructions, especially in automobile, equipment and architectural applications.

Thin, deformable composite laminate

A process for manufacturing thin strip or foil of aluminum of at least 99.9% purity is such that, after casting, the cast material is rolled to final thickness at temperatures between 20.degree. and 420.degree. C., whereby at thicknesses below at least 8 times the final thickness no intermediate anneals are performed and rolling is carried out at temperatures no higher than 250.degree. C. After a recrystallizing final anneal at temperatures between 480.degree. and 640.degree. C. the material exhibits mainly cube texture.

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Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Pedro Rodrigues