Patent ID: 8728389
Filing Date: 2014-05-20
Classification: B22F,B23K,C22C,C22F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for forming an aluminum alloy tank containing L1 2 dispersoids, comprising the steps of: placing in an aluminum can a quantity of an aluminum alloy powder containing an L1 about 0.1 to about 4.0 weight percent scandium, about 0.1 to about 20.0 weight percent erbium, about 0.1 to about 15.0 weight percent thulium, about 0.1 to about 25.0 weight percent ytterbium, and about 0.1 to about 25.0 weight percent lutetium; at least one second element selected from the group consisting of: about 0.1 to about 20.0 weight percent gadolinium, about 0.1 to about 20.0 weight percent yttrium, about 0.05 to about 4.0 weight percent zirconium, about 0.05 to about 10.0 weight percent titanium, about 0.05 to about 10.0 weight percent hafnium, and about 0.05 to about 5.0 weight percent niobium; and the balance aluminum; vacuum degassing the powder at a temperature of about 300° F. (149° C.) to about 900° F. (482° C.) for about 0.5 hours to about 8 days; sealing the degassed powder in the can under vacuum; heating the sealed can at about 300° F. (149° C.) to about 900° F. (482° C.) for about 15 minutes to eight hours; vacuum hot pressing the heated can to form a billet; removing the can from the formed billet; rolling the formed billet into a sheet; forming a body of the tank by cutting a blank from the sheet; roll forming the blank into a hollow structural shape with an open seam; welding the seam to form a tank body with an outside perimeter shape; forming a top of the tank by cutting a preform from the rolled sheet; forming the preform into a tank top with the same outside perimeter shape as the tank body; welding the tank top to the tank body; forming a bottom of the tank by cutting a bottom blank from the rolled sheet with the same outside perimeter shape as the tank body; and welding the bottom blank to the tank body to form a closed tank.