Method Of Reprocessing Secondary Aluminum, And Reprocessed Secondary Aluminum Alloy

Abstract

A method of reprocessing secondary aluminum includes obtaining a measurement of an iron content in a secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. The measurement of the iron content is expressible as a percent by weight of iron in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. The method also includes obtaining a measurement of a manganese content in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. The measurement of the manganese content is expressible as a percent by weight of manganese in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. The method further includes adding to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed at least one chosen from iron and manganese to form a reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy such that a sum of the measured iron content, the measured manganese content, any added iron content, and any added manganese content is between about 0.7 to about 1.2 percent by weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of reprocessing secondary aluminum, said method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a measurement of an iron content in a secondary aluminum to be reprocessed, the measurement of the iron content in the secondary aluminum being expressible as a percent by weight of iron in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed;   obtaining a measurement of a manganese content in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed, the measurement of the manganese content in the secondary aluminum being expressible as a percent by weight of manganese in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed; and   adding to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed at least one chosen from iron and manganese to form a reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy such that a sum of the measured iron content, the measured manganese content, any added iron content, and any added manganese content is between about 0.7 to about 1.2 percent by weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of adding to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed is conducted such that the sum of the measured iron content, the measured manganese content, any added iron content, and any added manganese content is between about 0.7 to about 0.9 percent by weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of adding to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed is conducted such that the sum of the measured iron content, the measured manganese content, any added iron content, and any added manganese content is about 0.8 percent by weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of adding to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed is further defined as adding manganese to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of adding manganese to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed is conducted such that the sum of the measured manganese content and the added manganese content in the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy is within about 0.1 percent by weight of the measured iron content in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of adding manganese to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed is conducted such that the sum of the measured manganese content and the added manganese content in the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy approximately balances the measured iron content in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of adding manganese to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed is conducted such that no iron is added to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of adding manganese to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed is conducted such that the manganese content of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy is between about 0.1 and about 0.5 weight percent higher than the measured manganese content of the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of adding chromium to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of obtaining a measurement of a chromium content in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed, the measurement of the chromium content in the secondary aluminum being expressible as a percent by weight of chromium in the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed;
 wherein the step of adding chromium to the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed is conducted such that a sum of the measured iron content, the measured manganese content, the measured chromium content, any added iron content, any added manganese content, and any added chromium content is between about 0.7 to about 1.2 percent by weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measured iron content is between about 0.3 and about 0.45 percent by weight of the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measured iron content is between about 0.35 and about 0.45 percent by weight of the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measured iron content is between about 0.4 and about 0.45 percent by weight of the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measured manganese content is between about 0.2 and about 0.4 percent by weight of the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measured manganese content is between about 0.3 and about 0.35 percent by weight of the secondary aluminum to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy includes aluminum, silicon, and magnesium. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy is Al—Si 10 —Mg. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising high pressure die casting the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy to form a structural component. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the structural component includes an intermetallic phase of α-Al 15 (Fe, Mn) 3 Si 2 . 
     
     
         20 . A reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy comprising:
 silicon from about 6 percent by weight to about 11 percent by weight of the total weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy;   magnesium from about 0.25 percent by weight to about 1.5 percent by weight of the total weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy;   iron from about 0.3 percent by weight to about 0.6 percent by weight of the total weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy;   manganese from about 0.3 percent by weight to about 0.6 percent by weight of the total weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy; and   a balance of aluminum;   wherein the limits for the iron and the manganese are constrained such that the amount of the iron and the amount of the manganese present in the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy are between about 0.7 and about 1.2 percent by weight of the total weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy.   
     
     
         21 . The reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy of  claim 20 , wherein the iron is between about 0.3 percent by weight to about 0.45 percent by weight of the total weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy, wherein the manganese is between about 0.4 percent by weight to about 0.5 percent by weight of the total weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy, and wherein the limits for the iron and the manganese are constrained such that the amount of the iron and the amount of the manganese present in the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy are between about 0.7 and about 0.9 percent by weight of the total weight of the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         22 . A structural component resultant from high pressure die casting the reprocessed secondary aluminum alloy of  claim 20 , the structural component comprising an intermetallic phase of α-Al 15 (Fe, Mn) 3 Si 2 .