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Constellium Singen Rolled Products Gmbh

Alanod Aluminium-veredelung Gmbh & Co.

Constellium Switzerland Ag

Volkmar Gillich

Roman Fuchs

Marcus Textor

Renato Kirin

Erich Simon

Walter Hotz

Mary-Anne Kulas

Andreas Afseth

Paul Hanggi

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an outside decorative trim strip of a motor vehicle, such as window surrounds or body shell trim, made of aluminum alloy, by shaping and brightening of a plate or strip made by vertical continuous casting of an alloy slab of series AA5xxx of high purity, homogenization-heating of the slab, hot rolling, cooling, cold rolling with intermediate annealing in a continuous tunnel furnace, or holding between the solvus temperature and the alloy burning temperature typically for 3 seconds to 5 minutes, quenching in air or water, possible annealing at a temperature of 100 to 200&#xb0; C. The invention also relates to a decorative trim strip of motor vehicle manufactured using such a method.

Motor vehicle moulding ring made from aluminium/magnesium alloy

A method for producing weather- and corrosion-resistant shaped sheets consisting of aluminum or an aluminum alloy with a decorative finish in a coil coating process that comprises the following sequential steps: an aluminum strip or aluminum alloy strip is provided; optional continuous degreasing of the strip; optional electrochemical, chemical or mechanical burnishing of the optionally degreased strip; the optionally degreased and/or burnished strip is continuously pre-treated to create a pre-treated layer that is suitable for use as an adhesive base for a paint layer; the optionally degreased strip is continuously pre-treated to create a strip surface that is suitable for use as an adhesive base for a paint layer; the pre-treated strip is continuously painted with a sol-gel paint consisting of a polysiloxane to create a first protect protective layer; the first protective layer is continuously dried and cured in a continuous furnace; the sheets are produced by shaping the strip that comprises the first protective layer and cutting the sheets that are optionally to be further shaped, or by cutting the sheets out of the strip that comprises the first protective layer and shaping the cut sheets; the shaped sheets are painted with a sol-gel paint consisting of a polysiloxane to create a second protective layer and the second protective layer is dried and cured in a furnace. The shaped parts that are produced by the method are characterized by excellent weather- corrosion- and abrasion resistance.

Method for producing shaped aluminium sheets with a decorative finish

A weather and corrosion-resistant reflector with high overall reflection in the visible and infrared wavelength ranges. The reflector contains a reflector body with a reflection surface of an aluminum or aluminum alloy or a reflector body with a reflection coating of an aluminum or aluminum alloy. The reflector also contains an outer, final transparent protective layer of a sol-gel coating which is thicker than 1 &#x3bc;m. The transparent sol-gel coating is a polymer of cross-linked inorganic siloxanes with alcohol groups that are bonded to the silicon with a carbon bond. The sol-gel coating is produced in a sol-gel process and, after having been applied to the reflector body, is dried and hardened using heat. The protective layer has excellent resistance to weather, corrosion and abrasion.

Reflector

A reflector with high total reflection which is resistant to mechanical stresses. The reflector comprises a reflector body and superimposed thereon (a) a functional coating such as a varnish, (b) a reflecting layer structure composed of a reflecting metallic layer and optionally arranged thereon one or several transparent ceramic layers, for example, layers having an optical depth of &#x3bb;/2. The reflecting layer structure contains, as its surface layer, a protective layer. The protective layer is a silicon oxide of general formula SiO, wherein x is a number from 1.1 to 2.0, or it is aluminum oxide of formula AlO, in a thickness of 3 nm or more. The protective layer protects the underlying layers from mechanical damages. In the DIN 58196 abrasion test the protected surface does not show any damages after 50 test cycles with 100 abrasion strokes.

Reflector with a resistant surface

A reflector with high total reflection which is resistant to mechanical stresses. The reflector includes a reflector body and superimposed thereon (a) a functional coating such as a varnish, (b) a reflecting layer structure composed of a reflecting metallic layer and optionally arranged thereon one or several transparent ceramic layers, for example, layers having an optical depth of &lgr;/2. The reflecting layer structure contains, as its surface layer, a protective layer. The protective layer is a silicon oxide of general formula SiO , wherein x is a number from 1.1 to 2.0, or it is aluminum oxide of formula Al O , in a thickness of 3 nm or more. The protective layer protects the underlying layers from mechanical damages. In the DIN 58196 abrasion test the protected surface does not show any damages after 50 test cycles with 100 abrasion strokes.

Resistant surface reflector

A reflector, with high total reflection, resisting mechanical stress, and having a reflector body on which the following components are superimposed (a) a functional coating, e.g., a varnish, (b) a reflection layer structure composed of a reflecting metallic layer and, optionally, one or more transparent ceramic layers, having for instance an optical depth of &lgr;/2, applied on the top of the metallic layer. The reflection layer structure is a protection layer as a surface layer. The protection layer is a silicon oxide of general formula SiO where x is a number from 1.1 to 2.0, or is an aluminum oxide of formula Al O , with a thickness of 3nm or more. The protection layer protects the underlying layers from mechanical stresses. In the DIN 58196 wipe test, the protected layer shows no damage after 50 test cycles, each with 100 wiping strokes. These reflectors are useful in the field of lighting and illumination where they can be used for lighting of display units with screens, primary lighting, secondary lighting, raster lighting, light ceilings or light deflector lamella.

A reflector, with high total reflection, resisting mechanical stress and having a reflector body on which the following components are superimposed (a) a functional coating, e.g., a varnish, (b) a reflection layer structure composed of a reflecting metallic layer and a transparent ceramic layer, having for instance a geometric thickness of 3 nm or more or an optical depth of &lgr;2, applied on the top of the metallic layer. The layer arranged on the surface of the reflection layer structure is formed by the transparent layer which acts simultaneously as a protection layer. The protection layer is a silicon oxide of general formula SiO,, where x is a number from 1.1 to 2.0, or is an aluminum oxide of formula Al,O,. The protection layer protects the underlying layers from mechanical stresses. In the DIN 58196 wipe test, the protected layer shows no damage after 50 test cycles, each with 100 wiping strokes. These reflectors are useful in the field of lighting and illumination where they can be used for lighting of display units with screens, primary lighting, secondary lighting, raster lighting, light ceilings or light deflector lamella.

Reflector having a composite reflectivity-enhancing layer as reflecting surface layer on a reflector body where the said composite layer has an outer layer facing the radiation to be reflected, the HI-layer, with a refractive index n.sub.2, and, between the reflector body and the outer layer, an LI-layer with a refractive index n.sub.1 which is smaller than n.sub.2 and the LI and HI layers are .lambda./4 layers. The HI-layer is a sol-gel layer and the optical layer thickness d.sub.opt,1 of the LI layer and d.sub.opt,2 of the HI layer are such that

Aluminum reflector with composite reflectivity-enhancing surface layer

Reflector having a composite reflectivity-enhancing layer as reflecting surface layer on a reflector body where the composite layer has an outer layer facing the radiation to be reflected, the HI-layer, with a refractive index n.sub.2, and, between the reflector body and the outer layer, an LI-layer with a refractive index n.sub.1 which is smaller than n.sub.2 and the LI and HI layers are .lambda./4 layers. The HI layer is a sol-gel layer and the optical layer thickness d.sub.opt,1 of the LI layer and d.sub.opt,2 of the HI layer are such that

Aluminium reflector with composite reflectivity-enhancing surface layer

Interference layer which acts as a coloring surface layer on aluminum items, said layer containing an aluminum oxide layer and, deposited on this, a partially transparent layer. The aluminum oxide layer is a transparent, pore-free barrier layer produced by anodizing, of predetermined thickness d corresponding to the desired surface color of the interference layer; the thickness d of the barrier layer lies between 20 and 900 nm, and the partially transparent layer exhibits a wavelength dependent transmission .tau.(.lambda.) which is greater than 0.01 and smaller than 1. The side of the partially transparent layer facing away from the barrier layer is preferably protected from mechanical and chemical effects by an additional, transparent protective layer.

Aluminum surface with interference colors

Reflector for technical lighting purposes, having a reflecting surface of aluminum and a protective, transparent, pore-free barrier layer of aluminum oxide produced by anodizing having a dielectric constant .epsilon. of 6 to 10.5 at 20.degree. C., where the barrier layer is of thickness d that either satisfies the condition

Aluminum surfaces for technical lighting purposes

Process of manufacturing aluminum surfaces for technical lighting

Reflector having a composite reflectivity enhancing layer as reflecting surface layer on a reflector body where the said composite has a sandwich structure with an aluminum layer facing the reflector body, an outer layer, the HI-layer, with a refractive index n.sub.2 facing the radiation to be reflected, and an intermediate aluminum oxide layer, the LI-layer, with a refractive index n.sub.1 which is smaller than n.sub.2. The LI-layer is a transparent and pore-free barrier layer produced by anodic oxidation of the aluminum layer and having a dielectric constant .epsilon..sub.1 of 6 to 10.5 at 20.degree. C. and the optical layer thickness d.sub.opt.1 of the LI-layer and d.sub.opt.2 of the HI-layer are such that

Aluminum reflector with a composite reflectivity-enhancing surface layer

Articles of aluminum containing at least one unanodized surface or parts of at least one unanodized surface which are suitable for the deposition of layers or layer systems from the gas phase on said unanodized surfaces, the unanodized surfaces being of a refined aluminum with a degree of purity of equal to, or greater than, 98.3% by weight or aluminum alloys of said aluminum with at least one of the elements from the series comprising Si, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn or Fe, and the surfaces have a peak-to-valley height Ra of equal to, or less than, 1 .mu.m, and the layer or the layer system is a reflective layer, in particular for radiations in the optical range.

Aluminum surfaces

A process for forming a reflective surface, comprises the steps of: providing at least a part of at least one unanodized surface which has a peak-to-valley height Ra of equal to or less than 1 micron. The unanodized surface is selected from the group consisting of (1) refined aluminum with a degree of purity equal to or greater than 98.3% by weight aluminum and (2) aluminum alloys with at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe. The unanodized surface is in a form selected from the group consisting of rolled foil, rolled sheets, and rolled strips and said unanodized surface is used as a substrate. The process further includes depositing at least two layers from the gas phase on the unanodized surface, wherein the two layers include a ceramic adhesive layer from the gas phase and at least one reflecting layer from the gas phase on said adhesive layer for the reflection of radiation with wavelengths in the optical range. The reflecting layer is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silver, gold, copper and alloys containing at least one of aluminum, silver, gold and copper.

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Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland

Volkmar Gillich