Alloys or metallic compositions – Aluminum base – Copper containing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2002-06-04
King, Roy (Department: 1742)
Alloys or metallic compositions
Aluminum base
Copper containing
C420S535000, C420S537000, C420S538000, C148S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06399020
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to aluminum alloys, and specifically to high tensile strength aluminum-silicon hypoeutectic and eutectic alloys suitable for high temperature applications such as heavy-duty pistons and other internal combustion applications.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Aluminum-Silicon (Al—Si) casting alloys are the most versatile of all common foundry cast alloys in the production of pistons for automotive engines. Depending on the Si concentration in weight percent, the Al—Si alloy systems fall into three major categories: hypoeutectic (<12 wt % Si), eutectic (12-13 wt % Si) and hypereutectic (14-25 wt % Si). However, commercial applications for hypereutectic alloys are relatively limited because they are among the most difficult Al alloys to cast and machine due to the high Si contents. When high Si content is alloyed into Al, it adds a large amount of heat capacity that must be removed from the alloy to solidify it during a casting operation. Significant variation in the sizes of the primary Si particles can be found between different regions of the cast article, resulting in a significant variation in the mechanical properties for the cast article. The primary crystals of Si must be refined in order to achieve hardness and good wear resistance. For these reasons, hypereutectic alloys are not very economical to produce because they have a broad solidification range that results in poor castability and requires a special foundry's process to control the high heat of fusion and microstructure. Furthermore, expensive diamond toolings must be used to machine parts, such as pistons, that are made from hypereutectic Al—Si castings. On the other hand, the usage of hypoeutectic and eutectic alloys are very popular for the industry, because they are more economical to produce by casting, simpler to control the cast parameters, and easier to machine than hypereutectic. However, most of them are not suitable for high temperature applications, such as in the automotive field, for the reason that their mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, are not as high as desired in the temperature range of 500° F.-700° F. Current state-of-the-art hypoeutectic and eutectic alloys are intended for applications at temperatures of no higher than about 450° F. Above this elevated service temperature, the major alloy strengthening phases such as the &thgr;′ (Al
2
Cu) and S′ (Al
2
CuMg) will precipitate rapidly, coarsen, or dissolve, and transform themselves into the more stable &thgr; (Al
2
Cu) and S (Al
2
CuMg) phases. This undesirable microstructure and phase transformation results in drastically reduced mechanical properties, more particularly the ultimate tensile strength and high cycle fatigue strengths, for hypoeutectic and eutectic Al—Si alloys.
One approach taken by the art is to use ceramic fibers or ceramic particulates to increase the strength of hypoeutectic and eutectic Al—Si alloys. This approach is known as the aluminum Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) technology. For example, R. Bowles has used ceramic fibers to improve tensile strength of a hypoeutectic 332.0 alloy, in a paper entitled, “Metal Matrix Composites Aid Piston Manufacture,”
Manufacturing Engineering,
May 1987. Moreover, A. Shakesheff has used ceramic particulate for reinforcing another type of hypoeutectic A359 alloy, as described in “Elevated Temperature Performance of Particulate Reinforced Aluminum Alloys,”
Materials Science Forum,
Vol. 217-222, pp. 1133-1138 (1996). In a similar approach, cast aluminum MMC for pistons using eutectic alloy such as the 413.0 type, has been described by P. Rohatgi in a paper entitled, “Cast Aluminum Matrix Composites for Automotive Applications,”
Journal of Metals,
April 1991.
Another approach taken by the art is the use of the Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) technology in the place of hypoeutectic and eutectic alloys. For example, W. Kowbel has described the use of non-metallic carbon-carbon composites for making pistons to operate at high temperatures in a paper entitled, “Application of Net-Shape Molded Carbon-Carbon Composites in IC Engines,”
Journal of Advanced Materials, July
1996. Unfortunately, the material and processing costs of these MMC and CMC technology approaches are substantially higher than those produced using conventional casting, and they cannot be considered for large usage in mass production, such as engine pistons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a composition of an aluminum alloy that can be used as a hypoeutectic or eutectic Al—Si alloy which is more economical to produce by conventional gravity casting and easier to machine than hypereutectic alloys. A second object of the present invention is to provide a composition having improved mechanical properties suitable for high temperature application, such as heavy-duty pistons and other internal combustion applications.
According to the present invention, an aluminum alloy having the following composition, by weight percent (wt %), is provided:
Silicon (Si)
11.0-14.0
Copper (Cu)
5.6-8.0
Iron (Fe)
0-0.8
Magnesium (Mg)
0.5-1.5
Nickel (Ni)
0.05-0.9
Manganese (Mn)
0-1.0
Titanium (Ti)
0.05-1.2
Zirconium (Zr)
0.12-1.2
Vanadium (V)
0.05-1.2
Zinc (Zn)
0.05-0.9
Strontium (Sr)
0.001-0.1
Aluminum (Al)
balance
In the aluminum alloy according to the present invention, the ratio of Si:Mg is 10-25; and the ratio of Cu:Mg is 4-15.
After an article is gravity cast from this alloy, the article is treated in a solutionizing step which dissolves unwanted precipitates and reduces any segregation present in the original alloy. After the solutionizing step, the article is quenched, and is then aged at an elevated temperature for maximum strength.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5217546 (1993-06-01), Eady et al.
patent: 5484492 (1996-01-01), Rogers et al.
patent: 408104937 (1996-04-01), None
Mielke, Steffens, Beer, Henning; New Aluminum Piston Alloy with Increased fatigue Strength at High Temperatures; SAE International The Engineering Society for Advancign Mobility Land Sea Air and Space; Feb. 23-26, 1998; pp. 41-45; 980687; society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.; Warrendale, PA, USA. . . .
J. A. Taylor, G. B. Schaffer, D. H. StJohn; Ther Effect of Iron Content on the Formation of Porosityand Shrinkage Defects in Al-Si-Cu-Mg Allwy Casting; Solidification Processing 1997 Proceedings of the 4th Decennia; International Conference on Solidification Processing; Jul. 7-10, 1997; Ranmoor House, University of Scheffield, UK. . . .
Hatch, John E.; Constitution of Alloys; Aluminum Properties and Physical Metallurgy; 1984; pp. 25-27; Chapter 2; American Society for Metals; Metals Park, OH; USA. . . .
Hatch, John E.; Properties and Physical Metallurgy, Specific Alloying Elements and Impurities; Aluminum Properties and Physical Metallurgy; 1984; pp. 224-229; American Society for Metals. Metals Park, OH; USA. . . .
W. Kowbel, W. Chellappa, J.C. Withers; Applications of Net-Shape Molded Carbon-carbon Compositeis in IC Engines; Journal of Advanced Materials: Jul. 1996; pp.2-7; vol. 27 No. 4; USA. . . .
A. J. Shakesheff, P. D. Pitcher; Elevated Temperature Performance of Particulate Reinforced Aluminium Alloys; Materials Science forum, Proceedings of the 5th International conf. ICAA5, Jul. 1-5, 1996; pp. 1133-1138.; vol. 217-222, 1996 Transtec Publications Switzerland. . . .
Rohatgi, Pradeep; Cast Aluminum-Matrix Composites for Automotive Applications; JOM the Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society; April 1991; pp. 10-15. . . .
R. R. Bowles; D. L. Mancini, M. W. Toaz; Metal Matrix composites Aid Piston Manufacture; CIM Technology, Manufacturing Engineering; May 1987; pp. 61-62. . . .
Chen Po-Shou
Lee Jonathan A.
King Roy
McGroary James J.
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator
Wilkins, III Harry D.
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