High modulus Al alloys

Abstract

High modulus aluminum-base alloys comprise mechanically alloyed aluminum-base compositions contain 10-25% titanium part of which may be replaced by vanadium or zirconium. Within described limits the alloys can contain elements other than oxygen and carbon ordinarily derived from the process control agent used in mechanical alloying.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows. 
     
       1. A mechanically alloyed, high modulus aluminum-base alloy containing at least one element from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium and zirconium, said vanadium, if present, being in an amount up to about 5% by weight, said zirconium, if present, being in an amount up to about 5% by weight, the percents by weight of titanium, vanadium and zirconium conforming to the relation   %Ti+%V+2% Zr=10-25%     about 0.1-2% oxygen, about 1-4% carbon with the balance principally being aluminum.   
     
     
       2. A high modulus aluminum-base alloy as in claim 1 wherein the element from said group is titanium and said alloy contains a dispersion of titanium aluminide. 
     
     
       3. A high modulus aluminum-base alloy as in claim 1 which contains as auxiliary elements up to about 3% lithium, up to about 5% total of copper, nickel, cerium and erbium, up to about 1% boron, up to about 10% total of silicon, beryllium, iron, chromium, cobalt, niobium, yttrium, tantalum and tungsten with the proviso that the total of all auxiliary elements does not exceed 10%. 
     
     
       4. A high modulus aluminum-base alloy as in claim 3 wherein said auxiliary elements are present in an amount up to about 2% total and carbon is less than 2% when the %Ti+%V+2% Zr>15% and said auxiliary elements are present in a gradually increasing total amount when the %Ti+%V+2%Zr>15% and approaches 10%. 
     
     
       5. A high modulus aluminum-base alloy as in claim 1 which contains up to 2% oxidic material in excess of that oxide indicated by the oxygen content specified in claim 1. 
     
     
       6. A high modulus aluminum-base alloy as in claim 5 wherein said oxidic material is selected from the group of alumina and yttrium-containing oxide. 
     
     
       7. A high modulus aluminum-base alloy as in claim 2 which contains about 10% to 16% titanium, about 1.3 to 2% carbon, about 0.5 to 1.2% oxygen, up to about 2.5% vanadium, balance essentially aluminum. .Iadd. 
     
     
       8.  A mechanically alloyed, high modulus aluminum-base alloy containing, in weight percent, 10 to 25% of at least one transition element selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium, zirconium, niobium, tantalum, yttrium, tungsten, cerium, erbium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper, said vanadium, zirconium, nickel, copper, cerium and erbium each being present in an amount less than about 5%, said niobium, tantalum, yttrium, tungsten, chromium, iron and cobalt each being present in an amount less than 10%, said transition elements being limited to atom-for-atom substitution of 10 to 25% titanium, said alloy further containing up to 1% boron, up to 3% lithium, up to 10% silicon and beryllium, about 0.1 to 2% oxygen, about 1-4% carbon, total of said boron, lithium, silicon and beryllium, being less than 2% and said carbon being less than 2% when titanium and transition elements substituted for titanium on an atom-for-atom basis are greater than 15% and total boron, lithium, copper, nickel, cerium, erbium, silicon, beryllium, iron, chromium, cobalt, niobium, yttrium, tantalum, tungsten, vanadium and zirconium being limited to about 10% and the balance being principally aluminum. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. The alloy of claim 8 wherein said transition element is selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium, zirconium and niobium. .Iaddend.