High Speed Blow Forming Process to Shape Aluminum Containers Using 3xxx Alloys with High Recycle Content

Abstract

Provided herein is a high-speed blow forming process for shaping aluminum containers using 3 xxx can body stock alloys with high recycled content, as well as articles made by that process. A process for shaping aluminum containers as described herein includes the sequential steps of blanking out a disk from a sheet of a 3 xxx series aluminum alloy; forming a bottle preform by drawing redrawing, ironing and doming the disk, placing the preform into a mold cavity, applying an axial load to the preform; and injecting an inert gas into the interior of the preform with sufficient pressure until the preform expands to fill the mold cavity.

1 . A process for shaping aluminum containers comprising the sequential steps of:
 blanking out a disk from a sheet of a 3xxx series aluminum alloy;   forming a bottle preform by drawing, redrawing, ironing, and doming the disk;   placing the bottle preform into a mold cavity;   applying an axial load to the bottle preform, wherein application of the axial load does not reduce the length of the preform; and   injecting an inert gas into an interior of the bottle preform with pressure until the bottle preform expands to fill the mold cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet has a thickness ranging from about 0.0150 in to about 0.0250 in. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the sheet has a thickness ranging from about 0.0180 in to about 0.025 in. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the sheet has a thickness ranging from about 0.0200 in to about 0.025 in. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the disk has a diameter ranging from about 6.0 in to about 10.00 in. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the disk has a diameter ranging from about 6.0 in to about 7.0 in. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the disk has a diameter ranging from about 8.0 in to about 9.50 in. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising heating the bottle preform to a forming temperature prior to injecting the inert gas. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the forming temperature is from about 200° C. to about 300° C. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the forming temperature is from about 250° C. to about 255° C. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the bottle preform has a top and a bottom, wherein the forming temperature comprises a temperature gradient from the top to the bottom of the preform, and wherein the forming temperature at the bottom of the preform is from 5° C. to 10° C. higher than the forming temperature at the top of the preform. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the heating is carried out while the axial load is applied. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the inert gas is injected after a preset axial load is reached. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the 3xxx alloy is selected from the group consisting of AA3104, AA3003, AA3004, and AA3105. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the 3xxx alloy includes at least 50 wt. % recycled material. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising fully or partially annealing the bottle preform prior to placing the bottle preform in the mold cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 16 , wherein the annealing temperature is from about 100° C. to about 400° C. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the annealing temperature is from about 300° C. to about 400° C. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bottle preform has:
 a diameter of about 2.5 in to about 3.0 in;   a height of about 10.0 in to about 12.5 in;   a wall thickness of about 0.006 in to about 0.020 in; and   a depth of dome from about 0.400 in to about 1.00 in.   
     
     
         20 . An aluminum bottle made by the process of  claim 1 .