Aluminum Company of America

Philip E Bretz

Ralph R Sawtell

Roberto J Rioja

Warren H Hunt, Jr

Craig L Jensen

John E Jacoby

Jocelyn I Petit

Dhruba J Chakrabarti

Stephen F Baumann

Diana K Denzer

Alex Cho

James T Staley

Asuri K Vasudevan

Henry G Paris

Superplastic forming of aluminum work stock is improved by including therein about 0.05% to about 10% or 15% scandium together with up to 0.2 or 0.25% zirconium. In preferred practices, soluble elements such as magnesium are also included in the aluminum alloy. One or more of the elements from the group of scandium, yttrium, gadolinium, holminum, dysprosium, erbium, ytterbium, lutetium, and terbium, may be included in addition to or in lieu of scandium. Heat treatable aluminum alloys such as 7XXX alloys and 2XXX alloys can be made superplastic by including scandium and zirconium to provide very high strength in superplastically formed products.

Superplastic aluminum products and alloys

An aluminum base alloy wrought product having improved corrosion resistance in addition to combinations of strength and toughness. The product comprises 0.2 to 5.0 wt. % Li, 0.05 to 6.0 wt. % Mg, at least 2.45 wt. % Cu, 0.05 to 0.16 wt. % Zr, 0.05 to 12 wt. % Zn, 0.5 wt. % max. Fe, 0.5 wt. % max. Si, the balance aluminum and incidental impurities and has the ability to develop improved combinations of strength and toughness in response to an aging treatment. Prior to an aging step, the product having imparted thereto a working effect equivalent to stretching so that after an aging step it has improved combinations of strength and toughness.

Aluminum-lithium alloys having improved corrosion resistance containing

Composite materials having improved fracture toughness are formed by dispersing ductile inclusions in a less ductile matrix. The matrices may be formed from metals, such as high-strength aluminum alloys or ceramics. Bonding should be present between the inclusions and the matrix so that cracks in the composite material must pass through the inclusions.

Composite materials having improved fracture toughness

An aluminum base alloy wrought product having improved corrosion resistance in addition to combinations of strength and toughness. The product comprises 2.2 to 3.0 wt. % Li, 0.4 to 2.0 wt. % Mg, 0.2 to 1.6 wt. % Cu, 0 to 2.0 wt. % Mn, 0.5 wt. % max. Fe, 0.5 wt. % max. Si, the balance aluminum and incidental impurities and has the ability to develop improved combinations of strength and toughness in response to an aging treatment. Prior to an aging step, the product having imparted thereto a working effect equivalent to stretching so that after an aging step it has improved combinations of strength and toughness.

Aluminum-lithium alloys having improved corrosion resistance

Superplastic forming of aluminum work stock is improved by including therein about 0.05% to about 10% or 15% scandium. In preferred practices, soluble elements such as magnesium are also included in the aluminum alloy. One or more of the elements from the group of scandium, yttrium, gadolinium, holminum, dysprosium, erbium, ytterbium, lutetium, and terbium, may be included in addition to or in lieu of scandium.

An aluminum base alloy suitable for forming into a wrought product having improved combinations of strength and fracture toughness is provided. The alloy is comprised of 0.2 to 5.0 wt. % Li, 0.05 to 6.0 wt. % Mg, 0.2 to 5.0 wt. % Cu, 0 to 2.0 wt. % Mn, 0 to 1.0 wt. % Zr, 0.05 to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 0.05 to 1.0 wt. % Hf, 0.5 wt. % max. Fe, 0.5 wt. % max. Si, the balance aluminum and incidental impurities.

Aluminum-lithium alloys with hafnium

Disclosed is an aluminum-lithium alloy containing a predetermined amount of lanthanides which provides the alloy with an improved combination of strength and fracture toughness relative to a baseline alloy not containing lanthanides but otherwise having the alloy's composition.

Aluminum-lithium alloys

Aluminum-lithium alloys having improved corrosion resistance and method

Disclosed is a metal alloy product having increased resistance to fatigue crack growth and having coarse grains distributed in a fine grain structure, the coarse grains having a different alloy composition from the fine grain structure.

Alloy having improved fatigue crack growth resistance

Superplastic forming of aluminum work stock is improved by including therein about 0.05% to about 10% or 15% scandium. In preferred practices, soluble elements such as magnesium are also included in the aluminum alloy.

Superplastic aluminum alloys containing scandium

An aluminum base alloy wrought product suitable for aging and having the ability to develop improved strength in response to an aging treatment without impairing fracture toughness properties is disclosed. The product is comprised of 0.5 to 4.0 wt. % Li, 0 to 5.0 wt. % Mg, up to 5.0 wt. % Cu, 0 to 1.0 wt. % Zr, 0 to 2.0 wt. % Mn, 0 to 7.0 wt. % Zn, 0.5 wt. % max. Fe, 0.5 wt. % max. Si, the balance aluminum and incidental impurities. The product has imparted thereto, prior to an aging step, a working effect equivalent to stretching an amount greater than 3% in order that, after said aging, improved strength and fracture toughness combinations are obtained.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Philip E Bretz