Highly formable, recycled aluminum alloys and methods of making the same

Abstract

Provided herein are highly formable aluminum alloys and methods of making the same. The highly formable aluminum alloys described herein can be prepared from recycled materials without significant addition of primary aluminum alloy material. The aluminum alloys are prepared by casting an aluminum alloy that can include such recycled materials and processing the resulting cast aluminum alloy article. Also described herein are methods of using the aluminum alloys and alloy products.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aluminum alloy, comprising about 0.5 to 2.0 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.4 wt. % Fe, up to 0.4 wt. % Cu, up to 0.5 wt. % Mg, 0.02 to 0.1 wt. % Mn, 0.01 to 0.1 wt. % Cr, up to 0.15 wt. % Sr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al. 
     
     
         2 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , comprising about 0.7 to 1.4 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.3 wt. % Fe, up to 0.2 wt. % Cu, up to 0.4 wt. % Mg, 0.02 to 0.08 wt. % Mn, 0.02 to 0.05 wt. % Cr, 0.01 to 0.12 wt. % Sr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al. 
     
     
         3 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , comprising about 1.0 to 1.4 wt. % Si, 0.22 to 0.28 wt. % Fe, up to 0.15 wt. % Cu, up to 0.35 wt. % Mg, 0.02 to 0.06 wt. % Mn, 0.02 to 0.04 wt. % Cr, 0.02 to 0.10 wt. % Sr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al. 
     
     
         4 . The aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein a combined content of Fe and Cr is from about 0.22 wt. % to 0.5 wt. %. 
     
     
         5 . An aluminum alloy product, comprising an aluminum alloy comprising about 0.5 to 2.0 wt. % Si, 0.2 to 0.4 wt. % Fe, up to 0.4 wt. % Cu, up to 0.5 wt. % Mg, 0.02 to 0.1 wt. % Mn, 0.01 to 0.1 wt. % Cr, up to 0.15 wt. % Sr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al, wherein a combined content of Fe and Cr is from about 0.22 wt. % to 0.5 wt. %. 
     
     
         6 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 5 , wherein the aluminum alloy product comprises a grain size of up to about 35 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 6 , wherein the grain size is from about 25 μm to about 35 μm. 
     
     
         8 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 5 , comprising iron-containing intermetallic particles. 
     
     
         9 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein at least about 36% of the iron-containing intermetallic particles are spherical. 
     
     
         10 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein at least about 36% of the iron-containing intermetallic particles present in the aluminum alloy product have an equivalent circular diameter of about 3 μm or less. 
     
     
         11 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein at least about 50% of the iron-containing intermetallic particles present in the aluminum alloy product have an equivalent circular diameter of about 3 μm or less. 
     
     
         12 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein at least about 75% of the iron-containing intermetallic particles present in the aluminum alloy product have an equivalent circular diameter of about 3 μm or less. 
     
     
         13 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein at least about 36% of the iron-containing intermetallic particles comprise α—AlFe(Mn,Cr)Si intermetallic particles. 
     
     
         14 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein at least about 50% of the iron-containing intermetallic particles comprise α—AlFe(Mn,Cr)Si intermetallic particles. 
     
     
         15 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein at least about 80% of the iron-containing intermetallic particles comprise α—AlFe(Mn,Cr)Si intermetallic particles. 
     
     
         16 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein a volume fraction of a cube textural component in the aluminum alloy product comprises at least about 12%. 
     
     
         17 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein the aluminum alloy product comprises a total elongation of at least about 32%. 
     
     
         18 . The aluminum alloy product of  claim 8 , wherein the aluminum alloy product comprises an automobile body part. 
     
     
         19 . A method of producing an aluminum alloy product, comprising:
 casting the aluminum alloy of  claim 1  to produce a cast aluminum alloy article;   homogenizing the cast aluminum alloy article to produce a homogenized cast aluminum alloy article;   hot rolling and cold rolling the homogenized cast aluminum alloy article to produce a final gauge aluminum alloy product; and   solution heat treating the final gauge aluminum alloy product.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the homogenizing is performed at a homogenization temperature of from about 530° C. to about 570° C.