Patent ID: 11925973
Assignee: NOVELIS INC.
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  C | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A casting method, comprising:
supplying molten metal to a casting mold and forming an embryonic ingot comprising an external solid shell and an internal molten core, wherein the molten metal is a 7xxx series aluminum alloy;
advancing the embryonic ingot in a direction of advancement away from the casting mold while supplying additional molten metal to the casting mold;
extracting heat from the embryonic ingot between the casting mold and a transition location by directing a supply of liquid coolant to an outer surface of the external solid shell; and
reheating the embryonic ingot at the transition location to induce dispersoid precipitation, wherein at least a portion of the external solid shell of the embryonic ingot at the transition location reaches a temperature suitable for precipitating dispersoids and lower than a homogenizing temperature of the molten metal, wherein the transition location lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the direction of advancement and that intersects the internal molten core, wherein the temperature is between 400° C. and 420° C., and wherein the method further comprises maintaining the temperature at the portion of the external solid shell for at least 3 hours.