Patent ID: 9469892
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: C22C,C22F

Claim Text:
1. A method of hot thermo-mechanical processing of heat-treatable aluminum alloys, the method comprising: heating a billet of a heat-treatable aluminum alloy composition to a solution treatment temperature of the aluminum alloy composition and holding the billet at the solution treatment temperature for a time period sufficient to dissolve soluble elements contained in the aluminum alloy composition into a solid solution of an aluminum base; cooling the billet from the solution treatment temperature of the aluminum alloy composition to a plastic deformation temperature of the aluminum alloy composition at a cooling rate ranging from 1° C. per minute to 10° C. per minute to preserve the solid solution of the of the aluminum base; plastic deforming the billet at the plastic deformation temperature of the aluminum alloy composition to attain full or partial dynamic recrystallization; quenching the billet after plastic deforming to fix the solid solution of the aluminum base, the billet having a hardness after quenching; and aging the billet after quenching at a temperature below the plastic deformation temperature to precipitate dissolved soluble elements from the aluminum base and to increase the hardness of the billet.