WELDABLE HIGH-STRENGTH ALUMINUM ALLOYS

• US 20100170996A1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Sankaran, Krishnan K., Slattery, Kevin T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,852,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/133
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/06 with magnesium as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12764 Next to Al-base component

Abstract

An aluminum alloy comprises aluminum, magnesium, scandium, and an enhancing system. The magnesium is from about 0.5 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy. The scandium is from about 0.05 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy. The enhancing system is from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.

Claims

1. An aluminum alloy comprising:

aluminum;

magnesium from about 0.5 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy;

scandium from about 0.05 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy; and

an enhancing system from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.

2. The aluminum alloy of claim 1, wherein the enhancing system comprises:

at least one of a period 4 transition element, a period 5 transition element, a period 6 transition element, a period 7 transition element, a lanthanide, a group 2 element, a metallic element from group 13, a metallic element from group 14, a metallic element from group 15, a semi-metallic element from group 13, a semi-metallic element from group 14, and a semi-metallic element from group 15 from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.

3. The aluminum alloy of claim 1, wherein the enhancing system comprises:

at least one of titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, beryllium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, germanium, indium, tin, lead, bismuth, and thorium from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.

4. An aircraft part comprising:

a plurality of plates welded to each other to form the aircraft part, wherein the plurality of plates each comprises aluminum;

magnesium from about 0.5 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy;

scandium from about 0.05 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy; and

an enhancing system from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.

5. The aircraft part of claim 4, wherein the enhancing system comprises:

at least one of a period 4 transition element, a period 5 transition element, a period 6 transition element, a period 7 transition element, a lanthanide, a group 2 element, a metallic element from group 13, a metallic element from group 14, a metallic element from group 15, a semi-metallic element from group 13, a semi-metallic element from group 14, and a semi-metallic element from group 15 from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.

6. The aircraft part of claim 4, wherein the enhancing system comprises:

at least one of titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, beryllium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, germanium, indium, tin, lead, bismuth, and thorium from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.

7. The aircraft part of claim 4, wherein the aircraft part is a thermally aged structure.

8. The aircraft part of claim 4, wherein the aircraft part is selected from one of a skin panel, a spar, a rib, a bulkhead, a keel, a longeron, a stringer, a gusset, a floor beam, a hinge, a stiffener, a flap track, a pin, a doubler, a splice plate, a trunnion, a slat track, a frame, and a fairing.

9. A method for processing an aluminum alloy, the method comprising:

forming the aluminum alloy in a form of a molten alloy, the aluminum alloy comprising aluminum;

magnesium from about 0.5 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy;

scandium from about 0.05 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy; and

an enhancing system from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy;

casting the molten alloy into a plurality of sections using a continuous casting process; and

forming a plurality of blanks from the plurality of sections.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

welding the plurality of blanks into a structure; and

heating the structure in a manner that increases a strength of the plurality of blanks welded into the structure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the welding step comprises:

performing friction stir welding on the plurality of blanks to weld the plurality of blanks into the structure.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the heating step comprises:

thermally aging the structure.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the heating step comprises:

heating the structure from around 250 degrees Celsius to around 350 degrees Celsius for a period of time from around one hour to around twenty hours.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

welding the plurality of blanks into a structure using friction stir welding; and

heating the structure from around 250 degrees Celsius to around 350 degrees Celsius for a period of time from around one hour to around twenty hours, wherein a strength of the plurality of blanks welded into the structure increases.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein one portion of the plurality of blanks has a number of different sizes from another portion of the plurality of blanks.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein one portion of the plurality of blanks has a number of different shapes from another portion of the plurality of blanks.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the structure is selected from one of a skin panel, a spar, a rib, a bulkhead, a keel, a longeron, a stringer, a gusset, a floor beam, a hinge, a stiffener, a flap track, a pin, a doubler, a splice plate, a trunnion, a slat track, a frame, and a fairing.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the structure is for an object selected from one of a mobile platform, a stationary platform, a land-based structure, an aquatic-based structure, a space-based structure, an aircraft, a surface ship, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a spacecraft, a space station, a satellite, a submarine, an automobile, a power plant, a bridge, a dam, a manufacturing facility, and a building.

19. The aluminum alloy of claim 9, wherein the enhancing system comprises:

at least one of a period 4 transition element, a period 5 transition element, a period 6 transition element, a period 7 transition element, a lanthanide, a group 2 element, a metallic element from group 13, a metallic element from group 14, a metallic element from group 15, a semi-metallic element from group 13, a semi-metallic element from group 14, and a semi-metallic element from group 15 from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.

20. The aluminum alloy of claim 9, wherein the enhancing system comprises:

at least one of titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, beryllium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, germanium, indium, tin, lead, bismuth, and thorium from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy.