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CN-121986000-A - Method for manufacturing thick aluminum alloy products

CN121986000ACN 121986000 ACN121986000 ACN 121986000ACN-121986000-A

Abstract

The present application describes a new method of producing thick sheet heat treatable aluminum alloy products. The new method may include hot rolling a heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot into a final gauge product, wherein the hot rolling includes hot rolling in at least two different hot rolling directions to achieve a final gauge sheet product having a thickness of 6.00 inches to 12.0 inches. The final gauge sheet product may then be processed to a T-temper. As a result of hot rolling the material in at least two different directions, the final gauge product may achieve an improved combination of properties such as an improved combination of two or more of strength, ductility, fracture toughness, fatigue crack growth resistance, isotropy, and the like.

Inventors

  • S. Clive's
  • K. Macheyeski
  • J. Swanson
  • A. W. Bowen

Assignees

  • 奥科宁克技术有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20241007
Priority Date
20231010

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A method, comprising: (a) Hot rolling a heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot into a final gauge product, wherein the hot rolling comprises: (i) Subjecting the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot to a first hot rolling in a first rolling direction, and (Ii) Performing a second hot rolling of the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different from the first direction; (iii) Optionally repeating step (a) (i), step (a) (ii) or both steps (a) (i) and (a) (ii), and (B) Processing the final specification product to T tempering; Wherein the final gauge sheet product has a thickness of 6.00 inches to 12.0 inches, and wherein: (i) When the final gauge product has a thickness of 6.01 inches to 6.50 inches, the final gauge sheet product has a post-rolling width that is at least 60% greater than the width of the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot; (ii) When the final gauge product has a thickness of 6.51 inches to 7.00 inches, the final gauge sheet product has a post-rolling width that is at least 50% greater than the width of the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot; (iii) When the final gauge product has a thickness of 7.01 inches to 7.50 inches, the final gauge sheet product has a post-rolling width that is at least 40% greater than the width of the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot; (iv) When the final gauge product has a thickness of 7.51 inches to 8.00 inches, the final gauge sheet product has a post-rolling width that is at least 30% greater than the width of the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot; (iv) When the final gauge product has a thickness of 8.01 inches to 12.00 inches, the final gauge sheet product has a post-rolling width that is at least 25% greater than the width of the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot; Wherein the final specification is determined according to ANSI H35.2.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second hot rolling step occurs after the first hot rolling step.
  3. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second hot rolling step occurs before the first hot rolling step.
  4. 4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second rolling direction is transverse to the first rolling direction.
  5. 5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second rolling direction is perpendicular to the second rolling direction.
  6. 6. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first hot rolling step comprises a plurality of hot rolling passes.
  7. 7. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the first hot rolling step comprises hot rolling the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot to an intermediate gauge.
  8. 8. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second hot rolling step comprises a plurality of hot rolling passes.
  9. 9. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second hot rolling step comprises hot rolling an intermediate gauge product into a final gauge product.
  10. 10. The method of any one of the preceding claims, comprising completing all hot rolling passes of the first hot rolling step and then completing all hot rolling passes of the second hot rolling step.
  11. 11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising completing a subset of the hot rolling passes of the first hot rolling step and then completing all or a subset of the second hot rolling step.
  12. 12. The method of claim 11, comprising completing additional hot rolling passes of the first hot rolling step after the second hot rolling step.
  13. 13. The method of claim 11, comprising completing all remaining hot rolling passes of the first hot rolling step after the second hot rolling step.
  14. 14. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first rolling direction corresponds to a long transverse direction of the final gauge product, and wherein the second rolling direction corresponds to a longitudinal direction of the final gauge product.
  15. 15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first rolling direction corresponds to a longitudinal direction of the final gauge product, and wherein the second rolling direction corresponds to a long transverse direction of the final gauge product.
  16. 16. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hot rolling step comprises: Performing a third hot rolling in a third hot rolling direction, wherein the third hot rolling direction is different from both the first hot rolling direction and the second hot rolling direction.
  17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the third hot rolling direction corresponds to a 45 ° direction of the final gauge product.
  18. 18. The method of any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein the third hot rolling direction is completed before or after the first hot rolling step.
  19. 19. The method of any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the third hot rolling direction is completed before or after the second hot rolling step.
  20. 20. The method of any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the final gauge product has a thickness of 6.01 inches to 6.50 inches, and wherein a rolled sheet has a post-rolling width that is at least 65% greater than the width of the heat-treatable aluminum alloy ingot, or at least 70% greater than the width of the heat-treatable aluminum alloy ingot, or at least 75% greater than the width of the heat-treatable aluminum alloy ingot, or at least 80% greater than the width of the heat-treatable aluminum alloy ingot, or at least 85% greater than the width of the heat-treatable aluminum alloy ingot, or at least 90% greater than the width of the heat-treatable aluminum alloy ingot, or at least 95% greater than the width of the heat-treatable aluminum alloy ingot, or at least 100% greater than the width of the heat-treatable aluminum alloy ingot.

Description

Method for manufacturing thick aluminum alloy products Cross Reference to Related Applications This patent application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/543,398 entitled "METHOD OF manufacturing thick aluminum alloy products (METHOD OF MAKING THICK ALUMINUM ALLOY PRODUCTS)" filed on 10 months 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Aluminum alloys are useful in a variety of applications. However, improving one property of aluminum alloys without degrading the other is elusive. For example, it is difficult to increase the strength of wrought aluminum alloys without affecting other properties such as fracture toughness or corrosion resistance. Disclosure of Invention In broad terms, the present application relates to a novel method of producing thick sheet heat treatable aluminum alloy products. The new method may include hot rolling a heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot into a final gauge product, wherein the hot rolling includes hot rolling in at least two different hot rolling directions to achieve a final gauge sheet product having a thickness of 6.00 inches to 12.0 inches. The final gauge sheet product may then be processed to a T-temper. Due at least in part to hot rolling the material in at least two different directions, the final gauge product may achieve an improved combination of properties, such as an improved combination of two or more of strength, ductility, fracture toughness, fatigue crack growth resistance, isotropy, and the like. Additional details are provided below. I. Production method A. Hot rolling As noted above, the novel methods described herein involve hot rolling a heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot into a final gauge product, wherein the hot rolling step comprises hot rolling in at least two different hot rolling directions. In one embodiment, the hot rolling step comprises first hot rolling the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot in a first rolling direction and second hot rolling the heat treatable aluminum alloy ingot in a second rolling direction, the second rolling direction being different from the first rolling direction. In one embodiment, the second rolling direction is transverse to the first rolling direction. In one embodiment, the second rolling direction is generally perpendicular to the second first rolling direction. The first hot rolling step may include one or more hot rolling passes. In one embodiment, the first hot rolling step includes a plurality of hot rolling passes. In one embodiment, the first hot rolling step comprises hot rolling the ingot into an intermediate gauge product. The second hot rolling step may include one or more hot rolling passes. In one embodiment, the second hot rolling step includes a plurality of hot rolling passes. In one embodiment, the second hot rolling step comprises hot rolling the intermediate gauge product into a final gauge product. Typically, all of the hot rolling passes of the first hot rolling step are completed, after which all of the hot rolling passes of the second hot rolling step are completed. However, in other embodiments, a subset of the hot rolling passes of the first hot rolling step may be completed, after which all or a subset of the hot rolling passes of the second hot rolling step may be completed. Thus, the hot rolling passes of the first hot rolling step and the second hot rolling step may be alternated as desired until a final gauge product is achieved. In one embodiment, the first rolling direction is associated with a long transverse direction and the second rolling direction is associated with a longitudinal direction. In another embodiment, the first rolling direction is associated with a longitudinal direction and the second rolling direction is associated with a long transverse direction. Other rolling directions may be used. In one embodiment, a method includes performing a third hot rolling in a third rolling direction, the third rolling direction being different from the first rolling direction or the second rolling direction. In one embodiment, the third rolling direction is associated with a 45 ° direction. The third hot rolling step may include one or more hot rolling passes. The third hot rolling step may be completed before, after, or in combination with the first hot rolling step and/or the second hot rolling step. As noted above, hot rolling typically produces a final gauge sheet product. The final gauge sheet product typically has a thickness of 6.00 inches to 12.0 inches and is suitable for use in aerospace structural applications, as described in further detail below. Final gauge size was determined according to ANSI H35.2 (2001). In one embodiment, the final gauge product has a thickness of no greater than 11.5 inches. In another embodiment, the final gauge product has a thickness of no greater than 11.0 inches. In yet another embodiment, the final gauge product has a thickness of no greater than 10.5 inches. In another