Tesla, Inc.

The Boeing Company

Sivanesh Palanivel

Charlie Kuehmann

Ethan Filip

Austin E Mann

Andrew H Baker

Paul D Edwards

Rajiv Mishra

Jason Robert Stucki

Paul K Edwards

A high performance die castable aluminum alloy is described, wherein the aluminum alloy is characterized as having a high yield strength and high conductivity compared to conventional aluminum alloys, and also a high flowability and low susceptibility to hot tearing when die cast. The aluminum alloy may contain 4-6 wt. % nickel, a yield strength of at least about 90 MPa, and an electrical conductivity of at least about 48% IACS.

Aluminum alloys for die casting

A method for making an aluminum alloy includes steps of (1) weighing out starting materials to achieve a mass of material having a composition that includes aluminum, about 1.8 to about 5.6 percent by weight copper, about 0.6 to about 2.6 percent by weight lithium, and at least one of lanthanum up to about 1.5 percent by weight, strontium up to about 1.5 percent by weight, cerium up to about 1.5 percent by weight, and praseodymium up to about 1.5 percent by weight; (2) loading said starting materials into a crucible; (3) inserting said crucible into a chamber; (4) evacuating said chamber to a predetermined vacuum level; (5) melting said starting materials to form a molten mass; and (6) casting said molten mass into a mold.

Aluminum alloy with additions of copper, lithium and at least one alkali or rare earth metal, and method of manufacturing the same

In various embodiments, aluminum alloys having yield strengths greater than 120 MPa, and typically in the range from 140 MPa to 175 MPa, are described. Further, such alloys can have electrical conductivity of greater than 45% IACS, typically in the range from 45-55% IACS. In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy comprises Si from 1 to 4.5 wt %, Mg from 0.3 to 0.5 wt %, TiBfrom 0.02 to 0.07 wt %, Fe less than 0.1 wt %, Zn less than 0.01 wt %, Cu less than 0.01 wt %, Mn less than 0.01 wt %, the remaining wt % being Al and incidental impurities. Such alloys can be used to cast a variety of automotive parts, including rotors, stators, busbars, inverters, and other parts.

Casting aluminum alloys for high-performance applications

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Sivanesh Palanivel