In a method for producing an aluminum alloy, for instance to make a billet or ingot for extrusion purposes, and which may consist of a structural hardening Al-Mg-Si-alloy, the production comprises the following steps:
casting an ingot or billet,
homogenizing the billet,
cooling of the homogenized billet,
reheating the billet to a temperature in the alloy above the solubility temperature in the precipitated phases in the Al matrix, for instance the solubility temperature for the Mg-Si-phases in a billet made of an Al-Mg-Si-alloy,
holding the billet at the temperature above the solubility temperature for the precipitated phases in the Al matrix, for instance the Mg-Si-phases in a billet made of an Al-Mg-Si-alloy, until the phases are dissolved,
quick cooling of the billet to the desired extrusion temperature to prevent new precipitation of said phases in the alloy structure, or that the billet is extruded at said solubility temperature, until the phases are dissolved.
The above mentioned contributes to improve the extrudability for the billet, for instance by making it possible to increase the extrusion speed essentially.
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1. A method for producing an aluminum alloy, which comprises the following steps:
casting an ingot or billet; homogenizing the billet; cooling the homogenized billet; reheating the cooled billet to a temperature in the alloy above the solubility temperature of the precipitated phases in the Al matrix; holding the billet at the temperature above the solubility temperature for the precipitated phases in the Al matrix until the phases are dissolved; and quick cooling the billet to the desired extrusion temperature to prevent new precipitation of said phases in the alloy structure, or extruding the billet at said solubility temperature until the phases are dissolved.
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The present invention relates to a method for producing an aluminum alloy, for instances by casting an ingot of a billet for extrusion purposes, and which may consist of a structural hardening Al-Mg-Si-alloy, such as 0,35-1,5 weight % Mg, 0,3-1,3 weight % Si, 0-0,24 weight % Fe 0-0,20 weight % Mn, 0-0,05 weight % Ti and rest Al with impurities up to a maximum of 0,05% each and totally 0,15%.
In extrusion plants producing aluminum extrusion, aluminum is supplied to extrusion presses in the form of billets of suitable size which are heated to a suitable temperature. The extrusion presses roughly consists of a cylinder/piston arrangement where the cylinder at one end is provided with a tool in the form of a die. The aluminum is forced through the die by means of the piston, thus forming an extrusion with the desired cross section or shape.
Due to the extrusion properties as well as the mechanical properties of the extrusion, mostly Al-Mg-Si-alloys are used when extruding aluminum, or more precisely alloys of the 6000-series, for instance, with a composition as mentioned initially.
The billet being used is produced by casting an aluminum alloy of the above-mentioned type, which after being cast is homogenized by annealing at high temperature and is thereafter cooled down and reheated to a desired extrusion temperature.
It is generally demanded that:
the surface of the extrusions should have the best possible quality (no surface defects) and that
the mechanical properties should be the best possible, simultaneously as it, due to production costs,
is desired that the extrusion speed is the highest possible and that
the energy consumption is as low as possible during the extrusion process (lowest possible extrusion pressure).
Previously, attempts have been done to reach optimum alloy compositions, and new methods for treating the above Al-alloys have been carried out to comply with the desired requirements or demands.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,227 describes a method for penetrating a billet of an aluminum alloy of the 6063 type. The billet is homogenized and thereafter, cooled down sufficiently fast to retain a sufficient amount of the magnesium and silicon in solid solution, preferably most of it, to prevail that any precipitates created are present in the form of small or very fine easily resolute Mg2 Si. Extrusions produced from such billets have, after ageing, improved strength and hardness properties. However, due to the quick cooling, the billet is unnecessarily hard, thus resulting in that the original extrusion speeds are lower and the extrusion temperature higher than is desired. Besides, preheating of the billet before extrusion has to be done most thoroughly and in a controlled way to avoid precipitation of a coarse beta phase, Mg2 Si at this point of time.
In NO patent application No. 863864 is disclosed a billet made of a Al-Mg-Si-alloy and a method for producing such a billet, where it is an object to obtain control with the micro structure of the alloy by controlling the alloy composition and by controlling the casting conditions and more specifically the homogenization conditions. With regard to the realities of the application, it seems that the presumably new feature consist in that the billet, during the cooling process, is kept at a temperature of from 250°C to 425°C for some time to precipitate mainly all Mg as beta'-phase Mg2 Si, mainly with absence of beta-phase Mg2 Si. According to the application improved extrusion properties are achieved.
The extrusion properties of an alloy are determined with regard to which extrusion speed tearing is initiated on the surface of the extrusions, and with regard to which extrusion pressure is necessary to conduct the extrusion. Tearing is initiated during the extrusion in those parts of the extrusions, or rather those phases of the alloy when incipient melting occurs, cfr. later section. In this regard the Mg-Si phases have the lowest melting point.
Although the above application has for its object to reduce the size of the Mg-Si-phases in the billet, these phases will, even if the particle size is smaller, be present and incipient melting with tearing as a result will occur. The improved extrusion properties which are said to be achieved in the above NO application are thus of minor importance.
Neither does it seem to achieve any improvement with regard to a reduction of extrusion work nor mechanical properties for the extrusions.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an Al-alloy, for instance by casting an ingot or billet for exrusion purposes, and which may consist of an Al-Mg-Si-alloy of the above-mentioned type, where the extrusion·properties are essentially improved and where the mechanical properties of the extrusions in the form of strength are substantially increased.
This is achieved according to the invention by for instance producing billets with the abovementioned alloy compositions under the following steps:
casting a billet,
homogenizing the billet,
cooling the homogenized billet,
heating the billet to a temperature in the alloy above the solubility temperature for the precipitated phases in the Al-matrix, for instance the solubility temperature for the Mg-Si-phases in a billet produced of an Al-Mg-Si-alloy, exeeded exceeded during the extrusion of the metal, incipient melting will occur and cause surface defects like tearing.
In FIG. 4 the break-through pressure for the extrusion (the maximum pressure registered before the extrusion is started) is plotted vs the the billet temperature. The curve passing through the points "O" defines the maximum, average pressure for billets extruded according to the invention, while the slightly less inclining curve passing through the points "X" defines the average, maximum pressure which was measured for the billets extruded the conventional way, i.e. billets directly heated to the desired extrusion temperature.
As can be seen from the figure, a slight increase in extrusion pressure is registered for the billets produced according to the present invention. This supposingly has to do with the larger amounts of Mg and Si dissolved in the solid solution in the metal than what is the case with the billets produced conventionally. The small increase in extrusion pressure is however unimportant compared to essential increase in extrusion speed for the billets produced according to the present invention.
With regard to surface quality, the amount of "pick up" (surface defect), was determined by visual inspection of each extrusion sample and graded with regard to surface quality. Group I was with the finest surface and group III with the roughest surface. The samples were graded as follows:
| ______________________________________ |
| Sample No. Billet temperature |
| Grading |
| ______________________________________ |
| 1 442 III |
| 2 432 III |
| 3 446 II |
| 4 477 II |
| 5 488 II |
| 6 506 I |
| 7 511 I |
| 8 527 I |
| 9x |
| 466 I |
| 10x 466 I |
| 11x 430 I |
| ______________________________________ |
| x Cooled down from 538°C |
As can be seen from the above table, the surface quality is significantly improved by increasing extrusion temperature.
Further the samples extruded from billets produced according to the present invention have essentially better quality (less "pick-ups")) than the samples extruded from billets produced according to the conventional method.
Testing of mechanical properties.
After the extrusion was performed, the extrusions were water guenched at the press (standing wave) and samples were aged at 185°C for five hours.
Two parallel samples of the aged extrusions was provided for tensile stress tests. The samples were taken from the middle, flat part of the extrusions. The results from the tests are revealed in the table below.
| ______________________________________ |
| Sample Billet Rpo 2 Rm Elongation |
| No. temp. N/mm2 N/mm2 |
| % |
| ______________________________________ |
| 1x 442 221 241 13.5 |
| 2x 432 213 234 12.9 |
| 3x 446 245 263 10.7/13.2 |
| 4x 477 258 274 13.7 |
| 5x 488 258 274 8.6/14.0 |
| 6x 506 260 275 12.5 |
| 7x 511 262 276 12.7 |
| 8x 527 263 276 13.4 |
| 9o 466 252 266 13.5 |
| 10o 466 259 271 12.8 |
| 11o 430 256 269 11.9 |
| ______________________________________ |
| o Billets cooled down from 538°C |
| x Billets produced according to the conventional method. |
In FIG. 5 the values (tensile strength) revealed in the table are plotted vs the billet temperature.
As can be seen from FIG. 5, the strength of the material increases by increasing billet temperature (billet temperature immediately before extrusion). Further it can be seen that the extrusions which were extruded from billets produced according to the present invention have essentially improved strength compared to the extrusions produced according to the conventional method, especially for the ones having low billet temperature.
As a conclusion with regard to the above-mentioned examples it is determined that billets extruded according to the present invention have improved properties, both with regard to extrusion speed, surface quality and strength compared to billets extruded according to the conventional method.
Besides the tests being carried out for the alloy AA 6063 and which have been mentioned above, there have been done corresponding tests for another alloy, more precisely AA 6351. The results from the tests with this alloy reveals the same improvements regarding extrusion speed, surface quality and strength as the alloy AA 6063.
On the basis of these results and on the basis of the theoretical reasoning previously mentioned, it will be apparent that the present invention being defined in the accompanying claims is not limited to only the Al-Mg-Si-alloys of the 6000-series, but is applicable to all Al-alloys where incipient melting occurs due to precipitated phases which are soluble at higher temperatures. Further, it is anticipated that the method according to the present invention also may be used for other alloys than the aluminum alloys, for instance the cooper alloys.
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