Swiss Aluminium Ltd.

Philip R Sperry

William C Setzer

Lloyd E Damon

Frank N Mandigo

Joseph Winter

Damian V Gullotti

Douglas L Graham

Aluminum alloys exhibiting improved resistance weldability as well as excellent strength and formability characteristics are prepared which comprise 1.-5.% magnesium, 0.3-1.0% lithium, up to 1.0% manganese, up to 0.3% titanium, up to 0.20% vanadium, and balance essentially aluminum. The alloys of the present invention are particularly suited for automotive and like metal parts.

Aluminum alloys possessing improved resistance weldability

Aluminum alloys exhibiting improved resistance weldability are prepared which comprise 2.0-6.0% magnesium, up to 0.40% iron, up to 0.40% silicon, and from 0.03-0.20% vanadium, balance essentially aluminum. The alloys of the present invention are particularly suited for automotive metal working applications.

Method for preparing aluminum alloys possessing improved resistance

Aluminum alloys exhibiting improved resistance weldability are prepared which comprise 1.9-5.5% copper, up to 1.5% iron, up to 1.2% silicon, up to 1.2% manganese, 0.02-2.0% magnesium, and from 0.03-0.20% vanadium, balance essentially aluminum. The alloys of the present invention are particularly suited for automotive metal working applications.

A composite aluminum alloy brazing sheet and methods of producing the brazing sheet are disclosed. The brazing sheet includes a non-heat treatable aluminum base alloy core containing zirconium, chromium and manganese as the alloying ingredients. Bonded to at least one of the major face surfaces of the core is an aluminum base alloy sheet containing silicon plus optional additions of copper, zinc and magnesium. The core alloy resists softening and sagging at brazing temperatures while retaining good mechanical properties after the brazing operation is completed.

Composite aluminum brazing sheet

A method of heat treating aluminum alloys of the aluminum magnesium-silicon type to improve processibility by extrusion which comprises initially homogenizing the alloys at an elevated temperature below the equilibrium solidus temperature of the alloy for from 2 to 12 hours, further homogenizing said alloys at an elevated temperature below the initial homogenization temperature and below the solvus temperature of the alloy for from 2 to 12 hours and slowly cooling said alloys to at least 800.degree. F at a rate of less than 100.degree. F per hour.

Processing aluminum alloys

Wrought aluminum alloy sheet products, displaying good ductility and resistance to grain coarsening when subjected to elevated temperatures as in brazing operations, are prepared by a process in which there is a final cold reduction of at least 50% and a subsequent partial annealing treatment sufficient to effect the recrystallization of 50 to 99% by volume of the metal. The resulting sheet products including composites have a substantially uniform grain structure characterized by the presence of mostly recrystallized grains, by uniformly distributed unrecrystallized grain fragments, and by the absence of coarse grains.

Aluminum alloy sheet and process therefor

A wrought article possessing a fine recrystallized grain size which is prepared from an aluminum base alloy comprising, in weight percent, up to .6% silicon, up to .7% iron, up 1.5% manganese and 0.03 - 0.20% vanadium. The alloy may be cast by the DC casting method and does not require a homogenizing treatment. The alloy may be hot and cold worked, and retains its fine grain through annealing without requiring a high rate of heating to annealing temperature.

Growing community of inventors

North Haven, CT, United States of America

Philip R Sperry