Master alloy hardeners

• US 6,123,899 A
• Filed: 03/08/1995
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KB Alloys Incorporated (AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group NV)
• Original Assignee: KB Alloys Incorporated (AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group NV)
• Inventors: Young, David K., Malliris, Richard J., Setzer, William C., Koch, Frank P., Boone, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yee, Deborah
• Application Number:
  US08/401,043
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 420/528-554, 420/590
• US Class Current: 420/590
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/03 using master alloys
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/00 Alloys based on aluminium

Abstract

This invention relates to master alloy hardeners for use in preparing aluminum base alloys. The respective concentrations of the alloying elements in the master alloy hardener are a multiple equal to or greater than 2 of the concentrations of such elements in the base alloy, and the ratios of the alloying elements in the master alloy hardener to each other are the same as the ratios of the alloying elements in the base alloy. After the aluminum base alloy and the concentration of each alloying element therein are identified, a desired multiple of such concentrations is determined. An aluminum master alloy is prepared that contains the alloying elements at concentrations equivalent to such multiple of the corresponding concentrations of the elements in the base alloy. The master alloy hardeners are added to commercially pure aluminum to provide the desired base alloy.

Claims

1. A master alloy hardener for use in preparing an aluminum base alloy containing 2 or more alloying elements, consisting essentially of the alloying elements in said aluminum base alloy selected from the group consisting of silicon, iron, chromium, zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead, bismuth, zirconium, boron, strontium, titanium, beryllium, sodium, calcium, phosphorous and antimony and mixtures thereof at concentrations that are a multiple equal to or greater than 2 and up to 50 of the concentrations of said alloying elements in said base alloy, wherein the ratios of the concentrations of said alloying elements in said master alloy hardener to each other are the same as the ratios of the concentrations of said alloying elements to each other in said base alloy wherein said base alloy is selected from the group consisting of a cast or ingot aluminum alloy and a wrought aluminum alloy.

2. A master alloy hardener for use in preparing an aluminum base alloy, said master alloy hardener containing 2 or more alloying elements consisting essentially of the alloying elements in said aluminum base alloy selected from the group consisting of silicon, iron, chromium, zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead, bismuth, zirconium, boron, strontium, titanium, beryllium, sodium, calcium, phosphorous and antimony and mixtures thereof, wherein the ratios of the concentrations of said alloying elements in said master alloy hardener to each other are the same as the ratios of the concentrations of said alloying elements to each other in said base alloy, and wherein said alloying elements are present in said master alloy hardener at concentrations which are a multiple of from 2 to 50 of the concentrations of said alloying elements in said base alloy.

3. The master alloy hardener of claim 2 further consisting essentially of a grain refiner or a grain modifier, wherein said grain refiner or grain modifier is physically surrounded by said master alloy hardener.

4. The master alloy hardener of claim 2 further consisting essentially of a grain refiner and a grain modifier, wherein said grain refiner and said grain modifier are physically surrounded by said master alloy hardener.

5. The master alloy hardener of claim 2 further consisting essentially of aluminum.

6. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said multiple is limited by the requirement that the sum of the concentrations of the alloying elements in said master alloy hardener is less than about 80%.

7. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said number of alloying elements is in the range of from 2 to 11.

8. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said number of alloying elements is in the range of from 3 to 8.

9. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said alloying elements are selected from the group consisting of silicon, magnesium, copper, manganese, chromium, and zinc.

10. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said multiple is a number from 3 to 10.

11. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said base alloy is a wrought aluminum alloy.

12. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 3 to 12.

13. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 10 to 35.

14. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 30 to 50.

15. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 10 to 50.

16. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 said multiple is from 3 to 10.

17. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 3 to 9.

18. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 3 to 14.

19. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 10 to 20.

20. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 10 to 25.

21. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 20 to 50.

22. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 20 to 40.

23. The master alloy hardener of claim 11 wherein said multiple is from 3 to 15.

24. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said base alloy is a cast or ingot aluminum alloy.

25. The master alloy hardener of claim 24 wherein said multiple is from 3 to 8.

26. The master alloy hardener of claim 24 wherein said multiple is from 3 to 6.

27. The master alloy hardener of claim 24 wherein said multiple is from 3 to 6.

28. The master alloy hardener of claim 24 wherein said multiple is from 2 to 3.

30. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said alloying elements are selected from the group consisting of copper, manganese, magnesium, silicon, chromium, lead, bismuth, zirconium, zinc, iron and nickel.

31. The master alloy hardener of claim 5 wherein said multiple is a number from 3 to 30.

29. A method for converting a first aluminum base alloy to a second, different aluminum base alloy that contains one or more additional alloying elements, said method comprising the step of adding a sufficient amount of a master alloy hardener to said first aluminum base alloy or to a mixture of said first aluminum base alloy and commercially pure aluminum to produce said second aluminum base alloy, wherein said master alloy hardener consists essentially of the alloying elements of said second aluminum base alloy, and wherein said alloying elements are present in said master alloy hardener at concentrations which are a multiple greater than 2 and up to 50 of the concentrations of said alloying elements in said second aluminum base alloy, wherein said alloying elements are selected from the group consisting of silicon, iron, chromium, zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead, bismuth, zirconium, boron, strontium, titanium, beryllium, sodium, calcium, phosphorous and antimony and mixtures thereof.