Aluminum alloy wire

Abstract

An aluminum alloy wire having an electrical conductivity of at least sixty-one percent (61%) based on the International Annealed Copper Standard and unexpected properties of increased ultimate elongation, bendability and fatigue resistance when compared to conventional aluminum alloy wire of the same tensile strength. The aluminum alloy wire contains substantially evenly distributed iron aluminate inclusions in a concentration produced by the addition of more than about 0.30 weight percent iron to an alloy mass containing less than about 99.70 weight percent aluminum, no more than 0.15 weight percent silicon, and trace quantities of conventional impurities normally found within a commercial aluminum alloy. The substantially evenly distributed iron aluminate inclusions are obtained by continuously casting an alloy consisting essentially of less than about 99.70 weight percent aluminum, more than 0.30 weight percent iron, no more than 0.15 weight percent silicon and trace quantities of typical impurities to form a continuous aluminum alloy bar, hot-working the bar substantially immediately after casting in substantially that condition in which the bar is cast to form continuous rod which is subsequently drawn into wire without intermediate anneals and annealed after the final draw. After annealing, the wire has the aforementioned novel and unexpected properties of increased ultimate elongation, electrical conductivity of at least sixty-one percent (61%) of the International Annealed Copper Standard, and increased bendability and fatigue resistance.

I claim: .[.1. Aluminum alloy rod or wire having a minimum conductivity of sixty-one percent IACS and a diameter or greatest perpendicular distance between parallel faces of between 3.00 inches and 0.0031 inches consisting essentially of from about 0.55 to about 0.95 weight percent iron; no more than about 0.15 weight percent silicon; less than 0.05 weight percent each of trace elements selected from the group consisting of vanadium, copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, boron, and titanium; and from about 98.95 to less than 99.45 weight percent aluminum, said alloy containing no more than 0.15 total weight percent trace elements and having an iron to 
     
        silicon ratio of 8:1 or greater..]. .[.2.  Aluminum alloy rod of claim 1 consisting essentially of from about 0.80 to about 0.95 weight percent iron; from about 0.07 to about 0.15 weight percent silicon; and from about 98.95 to about 99.13 weight percent aluminum..]. .[.3. Aluminum alloy wire of claim 1 consisting essentially of from about 0.80 to about 0.95 weight percent iron; from about 0.07 to about 0.15 weight percent silicon; and from about 98.95 to about 99.13 weight percent aluminum..]. .[.4. Aluminum alloy wire of claim 1 consisting essentially of from about 0.55 to about 0.80 weight percent iron; from about 0.01 to about 0.07 weight percent silicon; and from about 99.15 to about 99.40 weight percent aluminum..]. .[.5. Aluminum alloy rod of claim 1 consisting essentially of from about 0.55 to about 0.80 weight percent iron; from about 0.01 to about 0.07 weight percent silicon; and from about 99.15 to about 99.40 weight percent aluminum..]. .[.6. Aluminum alloy wire of claim 1 consisting essentially of from about 0.55 to less than 0.60 weight percent iron; from about 0.01 to about 0.15 weight percent silicon; and from about 99.10 to about 99.44 weight percent aluminum..]. .[.7. Aluminum alloy rod of claim 1 consisting essentially of from about 0.55 to less than 0.60 weight percent iron; from about 0.01 to about 0.15 weight percent silicon; and from about 99.10 to 
     
     
        about 99.44 weight percent aluminum..]. 8. Aluminum alloy .[.rod or.]. wire having a minimum conductivity of sixty-one percent IACS and a diameter or greatest perpendicular distance between parallel faces of between .[.3.00.]. .Iadd.0.374 .Iaddend.inches and 0.0031 inches and containing substantially evenly distributed iron aluminate inclusions in a concentration produced by the presence of about 0.45 to about 0.95 weight percent iron in an alloy mass consisting essentially of about 98.95 to less than 99.45 weight percent aluminum; no more than about 0.15 weight percent silicon; and less than 0.05 weight percent each of trace elements selected from the group consisting of vanadium, copper, maganese, magnesium, zinc, boron, and titanium, said iron aluminate inclusions having a particle size of less than 2,000 angstrom units. .[.9. Aluminum alloy rod of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.55 to about 0.95 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about 0.01 to about 0.15 weight percent; and aluminum is present in a concentration of about 98.95 to about 99.44 weight percent..]. .[.10. Aluminum alloy wire of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.55 to about 0.95 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about 0.01 to about 0.15 weight percent; and aluminum is present in a concentration of about 98.95 to about 99.44 weight percent..]. .[.11. Aluminum alloy rod of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.80 to about 0.95 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about 0.07 to about 0.15 weight percent; and aluminum is present in a concentration of about 98.95 to about 99.13 
     
     
        weight percent..]. 12. Aluminum alloy wire of claim 8 wherein .[.iron is present in a concentration of about 0.80 to about 0.95 weight percent;.]. silicon is present in a concentration of about .Badd..[.0.07.]..Baddend. .Iadd.0.015 .Iaddend.to about 0.15 weight percent .[.; and aluminum is present in a concentration of about 98.95 to about 99.13 weight 
     
     
        percent.].. 13. Aluminum alloy wire of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.50 to about 0.80 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about .[.0.01.]. .Iadd.0.015 .Iaddend.to about 0.07 weight percent; aluminum is present in a concentration of about 99.15 to about 99.40 weight percent. .[.14. Aluminum alloy rod of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.50 to about 0.80 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about 0.01 to about 0.07 weight percent; aluminum is present in a concentration of about 99.15 to about 99.40 weight percent..]. .[.15. Aluminum alloy wire of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.45 to less than 0.60 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about 0.01 to about 0.15 weight percent; and aluminum is present in a concentration of about 99.10 to about 99.54 weight percent..]. .[.16. Aluminum alloy rod of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.45 to less than 0.60 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about 0.01 to about 0.15 weight percent; and aluminum is present in a concentration of about 99.10 to about 99.54 weight percent..]. .[.17. Aluminum alloy wire of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.55 to less than 0.60 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about 0.01 to about 0.15 weight percent; and aluminum is present in a concentration of about 99.10 to about 99.44 weight percent..]. .[.18. Aluminum alloy rod of claim 8 wherein iron is present in a concentration of about 0.55 to less than 0.60 weight percent; silicon is present in a concentration of about 0.01 to about 0.15 weight percent; and aluminum is present in a concentration of about 99.10 to about 99.44 weight percent..]. .[.19. Aluminum alloy rod or wire of claim 1 wherein the silicon content is from 0.01 to 0.15 weight percent, the individual trace element content is from 0.0001 to 0.05, weight percent and the total trace element content is from 0.004 to 0.15 weight percent..]. .[.20. Aluminum alloy rod or wire of claim 8 wherein the silicon content is from 0.01 to 0.15 weight percent, the individual trace element content is from 0.0001 to 0.05, and the total trace element content is from 0.004 to 0.15 weight percent..]. .Iadd. 21. Aluminum alloy wire having a minimum conductivity of sixty-one percent IACS and a diameter or greatest perpendicular distance between parallel faces of between 0.374 inches and 0.0031 inches and containing substantially evenly distributed iron aluminate inclusions in a concentration produced by the presence of about 0.45 to about 0.95 weight percent iron in an alloy mass consisting essentially of about 98.95 to less than 99.45 weight percent aluminum; 0.015 to 0.15 weight percent silicon; trace quantities of less than 0.05 weight percent each of trace elements selected from the group consisting of vanadium, copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, boron, and titanium, and a total trace element content of no more than 0.15 weight percent, said iron aluminate inclusions having a particle size of less than 2,000 angstrom units. .Iaddend.