US2022017997A1PendingUtilityA1

Aluminum alloys for structural high pressure vacuum die casting applications

Assignee: MAGNA INT INCPriority: Feb 8, 2019Filed: Feb 7, 2020Published: Jan 20, 2022

Est. expiryFeb 8, 2039(~12.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:Kevin L. Haney Mike Blow Benjamin C. Probert Zach Brown Brian L. Springer Andrea Hill Xiaoping Niu Randy S. Beals

C22C 21/04C22B 21/0092C22B 21/0069C22F 1/043B22D 21/04C22C 21/02B22D 17/32B22D 17/14C22C 1/026B22D 17/00

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References

Claims

Abstract

A vehicle part formed at least in part of a blended material is provided. The blended material is formed by mixing an improved aluminum alloy and a recycled aluminum alloy. The recycled aluminum alloy can be obtained from road wheels. The blended alloy preferable meets the Aural series alloy specifications. The blended material can be cast under high pressure and a vacuum to form a part designed for use in a chassis or structural body of a vehicle, for example a front subframe, a front shock tower, a rear rail, a front kick-down rail, a front body hinge pillar, a tunnel, a front body hinge pillar, or a rear shock mount.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

1 . A method of manufacturing a blended material, comprising the steps of:
 mixing a recycled aluminum alloy with an improved aluminum alloy to form a blended material;   the recycled aluminum alloy comprising, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the recycled aluminum alloy, 6.5 wt. % to 7.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, up to 0.2 wt. % copper, up to 0.1 wt. % manganese, 0.25 wt. % to 0.45 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.1 wt. % zinc, up to 0.2 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum; and   the blended material comprising, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the blended material, 6.0 to 8.0 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, 0.40 to 0.60 wt. % manganese, 0.1 to 0.60 wt. % magnesium, 0.01 to 0.03 wt. % strontium, and up to 0.15 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum; or   the blended material comprising, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the blended material, 9.5 to 11.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, 0.40 to 0.60 wt. % manganese, 0.1 to 0.60 wt. % magnesium, 0.01 to 0.025 wt. % strontium, and up to 0.12 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blended material has an ultimate tensile strength of greater than 180, a yield strength of greater than 120, and an elongation of greater than 5%. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 7.4 wt. % to 7.9 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, up to 0.1 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 0.92 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.03 wt. % to 0.04 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 12.5 wt. % to 13 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, 0.27 to 0.33 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 0.92 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.03 wt. % to 0.04 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 17 wt. % to 17.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, 0.27 to 0.33 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 1.65 wt. % to 1.70 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.06 wt. % to 0.07 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  including recycling a first aluminum alloy to obtain the recycled aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         7 . A blended material comprising, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the blended material, 6.0 to 8.0 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, 0.40 to 0.60 wt. % manganese, 0.1 to 0.60 wt. % magnesium, 0.01 to 0.03 wt. % strontium, and up to 0.15 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum; or
 the blended material comprising, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the blended material, 9.5 to 11.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, 0.40 to 0.60 wt. % manganese, 0.1 to 0.60 wt. % magnesium, 0.01 to 0.025 wt. % strontium, and up to 0.12 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum.   
     
     
         8 . The blended material of  claim 16 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in wt. % based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 7.4 wt. % to 7.9 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, up to 0.1 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 0.92 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.03 wt. % to 0.04 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         9 . The blended material of  claim 16 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in wt. % based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 12.5 wt. % to 13 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, 0.27 to 0.33 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 0.92 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.03 wt. % to 0.04 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         10 . The blended material of  claim 16 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in wt. % based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 17 wt. % to 17.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, 0.27 to 0.33 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 1.65 wt. % to 1.70 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.06 wt. % to 0.07 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a part for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
 mixing a recycled aluminum alloy with an improved aluminum alloy to form a blended material;   the recycled aluminum alloy comprising, in wt. % based on the total weight of the recycled aluminum alloy, 6.5 wt. % to 7.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, up to 0.2 wt. % copper, up to 0.1 wt. % manganese, 0.25 wt. % to 0.45 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.1 wt. % zinc, up to 0.2 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum;   the blended material comprising, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the blended material, 6.0 to 8.0 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, 0.40 to 0.60 wt. % manganese, 0.1 to 0.60 wt. % magnesium, 0.01 to 0.03 wt. % strontium, and up to 0.15 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum; or   the blended material comprising, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the blended material, 9.5 to 11.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, 0.40 to 0.60 wt. % manganese, 0.1 to 0.60 wt. % magnesium, 0.01 to 0.025 wt. % strontium, and up to 0.12 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum; and   casting the blended material to form the part.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the part has an ultimate tensile strength of greater than 180, a yield strength of greater than 120, and an elongation of greater than 5%. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the casting step includes injecting the blended material into a cavity of a die at a velocity ranging from 90 to 200 feet per second and at a pressure of 5 to 15 ksi. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the part is designed for a chassis or structural body of a vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the part is a front subframe, a front shock tower, a rear rail, a front kick-down rail, a front body hinge pillar, a tunnel, a front body hinge pillar, or a rear shock mount. 
     
     
         16 . The blended material of  claim 7 , wherein the blended material is formed by mixing a recycled aluminum alloy and an improved aluminum alloy, the recycled aluminum alloy comprising, in wt. % based on the total weight of the recycled aluminum alloy, 6.5 wt. % to 7.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.25 wt. % iron, up to 0.2 wt. % copper, up to 0.1 wt. % manganese, 0.25 wt. % to 0.45 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.1 wt. % zinc, up to 0.2 wt. % titanium, other elements in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, and a balance of aluminum. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 7.4 wt. % to 7.9 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, up to 0.1 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 0.92 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.03 wt. % to 0.04 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 12.5 wt. % to 13 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, 0.27 to 0.33 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 0.92 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.03 wt. % to 0.04 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the improved aluminum alloy comprises, in weight percent (wt. %) based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy, 17 wt. % to 17.5 wt. % silicon, up to 0.01 wt. % copper, 0.16 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % iron, 0.27 to 0.33 wt. % magnesium, up to 0.03 wt. % zinc, 1.65 wt. % to 1.70 wt. % manganese, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.06 wt. % to 0.07 wt. % strontium. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  including recycling a first aluminum alloy to obtain the recycled aluminum alloy.

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