ALUMINUM ALLOY WIRE

• US 20110132659A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakai, Yoshihiro, Nishikawa, Taichirou, Kusakari, Misato, Takaki, Yoshiyuki, Ootsuka, Yasuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,653,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/72.A
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 1/00 Manufacture of metal sheets, metal wire, metal rods, metal tubes by drawing
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/00 Alloys based on aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/08 with silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/14 with silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/16 with magnesium
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/02 in inert or controlled atmosphere or vacuum adjusting the composition of the atmosphere C21D1/76
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/04 of aluminium or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/05 of alloys of the Al-Si-Mg type, i.e. containing silicon and magnesium in approximately equal proportions
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/023 Alloys based on aluminium

Abstract

Provided are an aluminum alloy having high toughness and high electric conductivity, an aluminum alloy wire, an aluminum alloy stranded wire, a covered electric wire, a wire harness, and a process for production of an aluminum alloy wire. The aluminum alloy wire contains by mass 0.2 to 1.0% of Mg, 0.1 to 1.0% of Si, and 0.1 to 0.5% of Cu with the balance being Al and impurities and satisfies the relationship: 0.8≦Mg/Si mass ratio≦2.7. The Al alloy wire exhibits an electric conductivity of 58% IACS or above and an elongation of 10% or above. The Al alloy wire is produced via successive steps of casting, rolling, wire drawing, and softening treatment. Since the Al alloy wire has been subjected to softening treatment, the wire is excellent in toughnesses such as elongation and impact resistance, so that when used in a wire harness, the wire is inhibited from being broken in the neighborhood of a terminal in mounting the wire harness.

Claims

1. An aluminum alloy wire used as a conductor,

said aluminum alloy wire comprising not less than 0.2% and not more than 1.0% by mass of Mg, not less than 0.1% and not more than 1.0% by mass of Si, not less than 0.1% and not more than 0.5% by mass of Cu, and a remainder including Al and an impurity,

a mass ratio Mg/Si of said Mg to said Si satisfying 0.8 Mg/Si 2.7,

said aluminum alloy wire having an electrical conductivity of not less than 58% IACS, and

said aluminum alloy wire having an elongation of not less than 10%.

3. The aluminum alloy wire according to claim 1, wherein

said aluminum alloy wire has a tensile strength of not less than 120 MPa and not more than 200 MPa.

4. The aluminum alloy wire according to claim 1, wherein

said aluminum alloy wire has a wire diameter of not less than 0.2 mm and not more than 1.5 mm.

5. An aluminum alloy stranded wire formed by stranding together a plurality of aluminum alloy wires as recited in claim 1.

6. A covered electric wire comprising as a conductor one of an aluminum alloy wire as recited in claim 1, an aluminum alloy stranded wire formed by stranding together a plurality of said aluminum alloy wires, and a compressed wire formed by compression-molding said stranded wire, and comprising an insulating cover layer on an outer periphery of the conductor.

7. A wire harness comprising a covered electric wire as recited in claim 6, and a terminal portion attached to an end of the electric wire.

8. The wire harness according to claim 7, wherein said wire harness is used for a motor vehicle.

2. The aluminum alloy wire according to claim, further comprising at least one of Ti and B, wherein

a content by mass ratio of Ti is not less than 100 ppm and not more than 500 ppm, and a content by mass ratio of B is not less than 10 ppm and not more than 50 ppm.

9. A method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy wire used as a conductor, comprising the steps of:

forming a cast material by casting a molten aluminum alloy containing not less than 0.2% and not more than 1.0% by mass of Mg, not less than 0.1% and not more than 1.0% by mass of Si, not less than 0.1% and not more than 0.5% by mass of Cu where a mass ratio Mg/Si of said Mg to said Si satisfying 0.8≦

Mg/Si≦

2.7, and a remainder including Al;

forming a rolled material by performing rolling on said cast material;

forming a wiredrawn material by performing wiredrawing on said rolled material; and

forming a softened material by performing softening treatment on said wiredrawn material,

said softening treatment being performed on said wiredrawn material so that the wiredrawn material having undergone the softening treatment has an elongation of not less than 10%.

10. The method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy wire according to claim 9, wherein

said softening treatment is continuous softening treatment by means of energization or continuous softening treatment by high-frequency induction heating and is performed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.

11. The method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy wire according to claim 9, wherein

said softening treatment is a batch treatment using an atmosphere furnace and is performed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere and at an atmosphere temperature of not less than 250°

C.

12. The method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy wire according to claim 9, wherein

said steps of casting and rolling are performed continuously to form a continuously cast and rolled material.

13. The method of manufacturing n aluminum alloy wire according to claim 9, wherein

aging treatment is performed at a heating temperature of not less than 100°

C. on at least one of said cast material after casting and before rolling, said rolled material after rolling and before wiredrawing, and the wiredrawn material during wiredrawing.

14. The method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy wire according to claim 9, comprising the steps of:

forming a stranded wire by stranding together a plurality of said wiredrawn materials or softened materials; and

forming a compressed wire of a predetermined wire diameter by compressing said stranded wire, wherein

said softening treatment is performed on said compressed wire.

15. An aluminum alloy comprising not less than 0.2% and not more than 1.0% by mass of Mg, not less than 0.1% and not more than 1.0% by mass of Si, not less than 0.1% and not more than 0.5% by mass of Cu, and a remainder including Al and an impurity,

a mass ratio Mg/Si of said Mg to said Si satisfying 0.8 Mg/Si 2.7,

said aluminum alloy having an electrical conductivity of not less than 58% IACS, and

said aluminum alloy having an elongation of not less than 10%.