Corrosion resistant aluminum electrode alloy

Abstract

A method is disclosed, which includes the step of preparing an aluminum alloy body for solutionizing. The aluminum alloy body may include not greater than 0.06 wt. % Fe, where at least some Fe is present. The aluminum body may include not greater than 5.0 wt. % Mg. The balance of the aluminum alloy body may be aluminum and unavoidable impurities. The aluminum alloy body may include a first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles. The method may include solutionizing the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. The solutionizing step may include dissolving at least some of the Fe-bearing particles into solid solution, thereby decreasing the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles to a second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 (a) preparing an aluminum alloy body for solutionizing, wherein the aluminum alloy body comprises:
 (i) not greater than 0.06 wt. % Fe, wherein at least some Fe is present; 
 (ii) not greater than 5.0 wt. % Mg; 
 (iii) the balance aluminum and unavoidable impurities; and 
 (iv) a first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles; and 
   (b) solutionizing the as-prepared aluminum alloy body, wherein the solutionizing step (b) comprises dissolving at least some of the Fe-bearing particles into solid solution, thereby decreasing the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles to a second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy body is suitable for use as an aluminum electrode alloy product. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  comprising:
 determining, prior to the solutionizing step (b), conditions for the solutionizing step (b), wherein:
 (i) the conditions include a soak temperature range of from 515° C. to a Temperature2 (° C.); 
 (ii) a value of Temperature2 is dependent on an actual wt. % Mg of the aluminum alloy body; and 
 (iii) Temperature2=644.6° C.−[15.73*(actual wt. % Mg)]; and 
 
 completing the solutionizing step (b) according to the determining step. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  comprising selecting a value for a target temperature (° C.) within the soak temperature range, wherein:
 (i) the conditions include a soak time range of from Time1 (hours) to Time2 (hours); 
 (ii) Time1=1.2141×10 8 *e{circumflex over ( )}−(0.032516*target temperature); and 
 (iii) Time2=1.4467×10 10 *e{circumflex over ( )}−(0.032828*target temperature). 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  comprising:
 determining, prior to the solutionizing step (b), conditions for the solutionizing step (b), wherein:
 (i) the conditions include a soak temperature within 50° C. and less than a solidus temperature of the as-prepared aluminum alloy body; and 
 
 completing the solutionizing step (b) according to the determining step. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the soak temperature is within 40° C. and less than the solidus temperature of the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the soak temperature is within 30° C. and less than the solidus temperature of the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the soak temperature is within 20° C. and less than the solidus temperature of the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the soak temperature is within 10° C. and less than the solidus temperature of the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the soak temperature is within 5° C. and less than the solidus temperature of the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body is at least 5% less than the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body is at least 10% less than the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body is at least 25% less than the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body is at least 50% less than the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body is at least 75% less than the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body is at least 90% less than the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy body comprises 20-400 ppm Fe. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy body comprises not greater than 3 wt. % Mg.