Method of producing aluminum alloys having superplastic properties

Abstract: A method of producing an aluminium alloy having superplastic properties, including the steps of: heating the aluminium alloy; hot rolling to an exit temperature ranging from about 650 to 70°F (343 to 21°C); and cold rolling to a gauge corresponding to a percentage of cold work falling within the zone defined by the lines joining the points of A (350°F, 177°C; 10%), B (600°F, 316°C; 99%), C (70°F, 21°C; 99%) and D (70°F, 21°C; 10%), shown in Fig. 2, showing the relationship between the temperature range of the hot rolling exit temperature and the percent of cold work. In another method, a heat-treatable aluminium alloy is held after an initial hot rolling at a temperature and time period sufficient to create precipitates of intermetallic constituents having a diameter ranging from about 0.5 to 10µm, hot rolled as above and then cold rolled as above but to a gauge corresponding to a percentage of cold work falling within the zone defined by points A (475°C, 246°C; 10%), B (650°F, 343°C; 99%), C (70°F, 21°C; 99%) and D (70°F, 21°C; 10%).

Description: The present invention relates to superplastic aluminium alloys. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for producing heat-treatable and non-heat treatable aluminium alloys having superplastic properties. In most sheet metal forming processes, the plasticity of a metal is generally much less than fifty percent. This lack of plasticity limits the objects that can be made from the metal sheet and increases the number of forming steps needed to manufacture complex shapes. "Superplasticity" is a phenomenon in which a material has an exceptional ability of being capable of elongation under special forming conditions to an extent of fifty to one thousand percent or more of its initial size, without breaking or necking. In general, the special forming conditions require high temperatures and slow forming rates. Metal sheet that has improved superplastic properties, however, allows lower temperatures and faster forming rates. To achieve superplasticity, it is necessary, but not always sufficient, to have very fine grain sizes from for example, 0.1µm or less to about 15 µ m. Generally, the finer the grain size, the better the superplastic properties. Workers in the field have utilized superplastic forming, most commonly for titanium alloys and aluminium alloys, for several decades. They developed a number of processes to make commercial aluminium alloy sheet fine grained and superplastic, but these processes generally require special and expensive processing steps such as cross rolling, a separate solution heat treatment and quenching operation, and/or very high degrees of cold rolling that are difficult to achieve. Many of these processes require individual handling of sheets and plates, and are not amenable to commercial mass production. For example, US-A-4486242, US-A-4486244 and US-A-4528042, all to Ward et al., describe methods of using superplastic aluminium sheet wherein the sheet is subjected to certain thermomechanical processes and then recrystallized. Specifically, Ward et al., begin their processes with a solution heat treating step to dissolve the normally soluble phases and then hot roll between 600 and 700°F (316 and 371°C) followed by a cold rolling step. These references caution that hot rolling above 700°F (371°C) may produce a sheet product having a grain size greater than 20 µ m which results in unsatisfactory superplastic properties. Also, the methods of Ward et al, are generally limited to heat-treatable alloys. Similarly, US-A-4618382 to Miyagi et al., which also is directed only to heat-treatable alloys, requires a mid-process thermal step of heating the alloy to above the heat-treatment temperature. US-A-5181969 to Komatsubara et al., describes a process of obtaining superplastic properties in a non-heat treatable alloy consisting essentially of 2.0 to 8.0 wt.% magnesium, 0.3 to 1.5 wt.% manganese, 0.0001 to 0.01 wt.% beryllium, less than 0.2 wt.% iron, and less than 0.1 wt.% silicon as impurities with the balance aluminium. This patent claims to obtain superplastic properties in this non-heat treatable alloy by heating, hot rolling and then cold rolling to a draft of at least 30%. Thus, a need remains for a process of making both heat-treatable and non-heat treatable alloys which have superplastic properties without using expensive thermal or mechanical processing steps and that is independent of the specific chemistry of the particular alloy. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide such a process. The present invention provides a method of producing an aluminium alloy having superplastic properties. It comprises the steps of: providing an aluminium alloy; heating the alloy; hot rolling the alloy at an initial temperature; cooling the alloy during hot rolling to an exit temperature ranging from 650 to 70°F (343 to 21°C) such that strain energy in the alloy is retained and the loss of this energy by recrystallisation and recovery is impeded; and cold rolling to a gauge corresponding to a percentage of cold work falling within the zone defined by the lines joining the points of A (475°F, 246°C; 10%), B (650°F, 343°C; 99%), C (70°F, 21°C; 10%) and D(70°F, 21°C; 10%) in a graphic representation of the relationship between the hot rolling exit temperature and the percent of cold work, thereby producing a non-heat treatable aluminium alloy capable of having superplastic properties. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, superplastic properties can be produced in heat-treatable alloys where the method comprises the steps of: providing a heat-treatable aluminium alloy; heating the alloy; initial hot rolling; holding at a temperature and time period sufficient to create precipitates of intermetallic constituents having a diameter ranging from about 0.5 to 10 µ m; hot rolling the alloy at an initial temperature; cooling the alloy during hot rolling to an exit temperature ranging from 650 to 70°F (343 to 21°C) such that strain energy in the alloy is retained and the loss of this energy by recrystallisation and recovery is impeded; and cold rolling to a gauge corresponding to a percentage of cold work falling within the zone referred to above. In further embodiments of the invention, the points A and B of the said zone correspond to (350°F, 177°C; 10%) and (600°F, 316°C; 99%), respectively. The grain sizes referred to herein are those measured in the longest grain direction, which is the sheet rolling direction, and because grains are often elongated in the rolling direction, the sizes reported may be larger than the average grain size, or than sizes measured in other directions. The invention will be described further in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and examples which proceeds with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a graphic representation of a the process according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a graph showing hot rolling exit or finishing temperature as a function of percentage of cold work necessary to produce superplastic properties, according to processes of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a graphic representation for a preferred process for producing superplastic properties in heat-treatable alloys and according to the present invention. Fig. 4 is a graph showing the grain sizes developed in AA 7475 alloy sheet when processed according to the present invention; and Fig. 5 is a graph showing the grain sizes developed in AA 5083 alloy sheet when processed according to the present invention. The present invention provides a method which can produce superplastic properties in conventional aluminium alloys by a process that can utilize conventional processing equipment and procedures, and therefore produces the sheet at significantly lower cost. Broadly stated, the alloys of the present invention can either be heat-treated or non-heat treated aluminium alloys. PREFERRED PROCESS FOR NON-HEAT TREATABLE ALLOYS In a preferred illustrative embodiment of the present invention, non-heat treatable alloys are employed, such as those of the Aluminum Association ("AA") 3000 and 5000 series aluminium alloys. For example, the non-heat treatable alloy is AA 5083 and consists essentially of 4.0 to 4.9 wt.% magnesium; 0.4 to 1.0 wt. % manganese; not more than 0.25 wt.% chromium; not more that 0.4 wt.% iron; not more than 0.4 wt.% silicon; and the balance aluminium. The alloy is heated and hot rolled and then cold rolled to obtain an alloy capable of having superplastic properties. It has been found that there is a very important relationship between the hot rolling exit temperature and the percent of cold work necessary to obtain the desirable superplastic properties. The general time-temperature cycles necessary to accomplish the invention are shown in Fig. 1. The processing sequence comprises heating, optional cooling and reheating, hot rolling, and cold rolling. Optionally, a final anneal step is utilised fully to recrystallize the sheet to a fine grained microstructure. The correct combination of these steps, particularly the amount of cold rolling as a function of the hot rolling exit temperature, will produce a fine grained microstructure which is capable of exhibiting superplastic behaviour at elevated temperatures. These process steps which are depicted in Fig. 1 will next be described in more detail. Heating Step Initially, stock in the form of a DC (direct chill) or continuously cast ingot is taken and heated to a temperature ranging from 750 to 1100°F (399 to 593°C) for a period of from 1 to 24 hours. Preferably, the temperature ranges and times normally used in the production of conventional sheet of the particular non-heat treatable alloy are used. This process is known in the trade as "homogenizing" or "preheating". For example, for an AA 5083 alloy, the cast DC ingot is soaked at temperatures from 850 to 1050°F (454 to 566°C) for periods from about 4 to 24 hours. Optional Cooling Step After heating, the ingot is optionally cooled to the rolling temperature, which ranges between about 700 and 950°F (371 and 510°C), either in the furnace, or by still or forced air cooling. Alternatively, the ingot is cooled to room temperature and then reheated to the hot rolling temperature. In general, the ingot is cooled between about 20 and 100°F/hr (11 and 56°C/hr). Hot Rolling Step In general, hot rolling is carried out at initial temperatures from 700 to 1000°F (371 to 538°C). The rolling of work hardenable alloys such as 5083, that do not produce a significant volumes of precipitates during holding at these temperatures, is not interrupted by an over aging step as preferred for heat treatable alloys as discussed below. The metal is then hot rolled continuously to the desired gauge such that the metal is cooled rapidly, particularly in the later stages of hot rolling, and before the metal is coiled or stacked. This part of the process, which is an important part, uses concurrent precipitation and/or reduced temperatures of hot rolling to retain in the metal as much strain energy as possible, and to impede the loss of this energy by recrystallization and recovery. This is particularly important when the metal is coiled, usually at thicknesses between 0.5 and 0.05" (12.7 and 1.27mm), as large coils cool much slower than uncoiled strip. A finishing or coiling temperature of less than 500°F (260°C), and preferably less than 450°F (232°C) is generally required. Cold Rolling Step The hot rolled coil is next allowed to cool naturally, and then cold rolled to final gauge. In general, the hot rolled sheet can be cold rolled from 0 to 99%, either as coil or as individual sheets or plates to the desired gauge. Surprisingly, it has been discovered that the amount of cold rolling required to produce superplastic properties in the final product may be a function of, or at least strongly dependent on, the hot rolling exit or coiling temperature. It has been determined that superplastic properties are obtained only by cold rolling to a gauge corresponding to a percentage of cold work which falls within the zone defined by the lines joining the points of A (475°F, 246°C; 10%), B (650°F, 343°C; 99%), C (70°F, 21°C; 99%) and D (70°F, 21°C; 10%) as illustrated in Fig. 2. In addition, it has been found that optimum superplastic properties are obtained when the amount of cold work falls within the zone defined by the line joining the points A', B', C and D. Points A' and B' correspond to A and B, respectively, except that the temperature values are approximately 325°F (163°C) and 550°F (288°C), respectively. For most conventional hot rolling processes, however, 50% or more cold rolling is required to produce an annealed grain size below 10 to 15µm, and to develop good superplastic properties. A principle advantage of the process of the present invention is that by discovering the relationship between hot rolling exit temperature and the amount of cold work, the amount of cold work necessary to obtain the desirable superplastic properties as compared to conventional processes can be significantly reduced. Unexpectedly, it has been found that the relationship between the amount of necessary cold work and the hot rolling exit temperature is similar for both heat-treatable and non-heat treatable alloys. Final Annealing If it is desired to produce an annealed or a solution heat treated product, in "O" or "T4" temper, it is necessary to heat the coil, sheet or plate again. As the final grain size, and hence the superplastic properties, depend on the heating rate to the annealing or solutionizing temperature, it is advantageous to heat as rapidly as possible. When the above teachings are applied, the heating rates achieved in a stirred air furnace continuous annealing line are adequate, but more rapid heating, as in a salt bath, will further improve the product. A requirement for fine grain size is that the annealing of the coil be done as unwound strip so that sufficiently rapid heating rates to the annealing temperature are obtained. Because of the above prior treatments, stirred air heating of sheet or unwound strip is sufficient to produce grain sizes less than 10 to 15 µ m, but finer grain sizes of 8 to 10 µ m can be achieved consistently by using salt bath or other more rapid heating rate annealing processes. The use of air heating permits use of conventional aluminium sheet heat treatment lines, and enables the production of wide, continuously annealed or heat treated coils. The annealing may also be achieved incidentally during heating to the elevated forming temperature in a superplastic forming furnace. In this case, an "F" temper, unannealed product may be supplied by the producer, but the grain size and degree of superplasticity will be dependent on the heating rate in the forming furnace, but it will generally be superior to material produced in prior art processes using similar degrees of cold rolling. PREFERRED PROCESS FOR HEAT TREATABLE ALLOYS In an alternative embodiment of the invention, superplastic properties can be produced in heat-treatable alloys such as AA 2000 and 7000 series alloys. This embodiment will be illustrated using a AA 7475 alloy that consists essentially of 5.2 to 6.2 wt.% zinc, 1.9 to 2.6 wt.% magnesium, 1.2 to 1.9 wt.% copper, and 0.18 to 0.28 wt.% chromium. A preferred AA 2000 composition is given in claim 11. The preferred processing sequence for heat treatable alloys comprises heating, initial hot rolling, over aging, secondary hot rolling, cold rolling, and optional annealing. As with the non-heat treatable alloys, the heat-treatable alloy is first heated and then hot rolled. But then a holding period followed by a second hot rolling step is introduced before cold rolling. These process steps which are depicted in Fig. 3 will next be described in more detail. Initial Hot Rolling Step After heating the ingot is cooled directly to the rolling temperature or to room temperature and then reheated to the rolling temperature if this is desired. Preferably a rolling temperature that is used normally for the alloy being rolled is used and this is usually in the range 700 to 1000°F (371 to 538°C). The alloy is generally rolled to a convenient thickness, typically in the range 2 to 9 inches (51 to 229mm). Over Aging Treatment In the case of the heat-treatable alloys, the hot rolling is interrupted at this stage and then the slab is either cooled to room temperature and reheated or placed directly in a furnace at 600 to 850°F (316 to 454°C), for about 1 to 24 hours or from 650 to 850°F (343 to 454°C) for at least 2 hours. For alloys such as AA 7475, 7075, 2024 and 2124 the amount of time that the metal is held depends upon the specific heat-treatable alloy that is being rolled. The goal however is to create precipitation of intermetallic constituents that produce a dispersion of particles from 0.5 to 10 µ m in size; these precipitates can act as recrystallization nuclei for new grains in later stages of the process and enhance the development of fine grains. For example, to create superplastic properties in AA 7475, a temperature of about 750°F (399°C) is employed for a period of about 1 to 14 hours, typically about 8 hours. This step allows precipitates of intermetallic constituents, which are soluble in the aluminium at higher temperatures, to form and grow to sizes around 0.5 to 10µm. These precipitates help to control the final grain size by acting as nuclei during the static recrystallization that occurs during the final annealing of the cold rolled sheet. In contrast, non-heat treated alloys do not receive this heating step and hot rolling is continued. In these alloys, it is necessary to rely on other precipitates formed during the solidification of the ingot during casting, or at high temperatures in the homogenizing step, to help control the grain size. Second Hot Rolling For heat treatable alloys, the over aging treatment is followed with a second stage of hot rolling. In this step, it is preferred to roll using conventional intermediate and continuous mills, but other mills could be used. The metal is cooled rapidly as it passes through the mill, and it exits the mill at a temperature selected in reference to Fig. 2. This is an important part of the invention. The desired exit temperature can be achieved by judicious selection of rolling speed, entry temperature, rolling lubricant/coolant flow rates, and by balancing the rolling reductions in each pass through the rolls. These control methods are well known to those skilled in the art of hot rolling. If the exit temperature is maintained below the line A-B in Fig. 2, then grain sizes of less than about 15 µ m are obtained, and good superplastic properties are possible for a particular degree of subsequent cold rolling. The line A-B in the example shown in Fig. 2 is drawn for the cooling conditions observed in a large coil of aluminium sheet when cooling from the exit (or coiling) temperature to room temperature. The exact position of the line will depend to some extent on the actual cooling rate and will of course be different for sheets or plates rolled individually and not coiled or stacked, and in this case it will also depend on he product thickness. The line may also be drawn for finer desired grain sizes, and better superplastic properties, at some level below the line A-B, or line A'-B'. In contrast, for non-heat treated alloys, the second stage rolling is combined in with the initial stage for a single hot rolling step, or for convenience it may follow cooling and reheating to the second stage rolling temperature. Cold Rolling Following the cooling of the hot rolled material, the sheet may then be cold or warm rolled an amount of from 0 to 99%, either as coil or as individual sheets or plates to the desired gauge. Optimum superplastic properties are obtained when this amount of rolling follows the relationship shown in Fig. 2, with the exit temperature. As with the non-heat treatable alloys, it has been unexpectedly discovered that the amount of cold rolling required to produce superplastic properties in the final product may be a function of, or at least strongly dependent on, the hot rolling exit or coiling temperature. It has been determined that superplastic properties are obtained only by cold rolling to a gauge corresponding to a percentage of cold work which falls within the zone defined by the lines joining the points of A, B, C and D as illustrated in Fig. 2. In addition, it has been found that optimum superplastic properties are obtained when the amount of cold work falls within the zone defined by the line joining the points A',B', C and D. Again, as with the non-heat treatable alloys, for most conventional hot rolling processes, however, approximately 50% or more cold rolling is required to produce an annealed grain size below 10 to 15 µ m, and to develop good superplastic properties. A principle advantage of the process of the present invention is that by discovering the relationship between hot rolling exit temperature and the amount of cold work, the amount of cold work necessary to obtain the desirable superplastic properties can be significantly reduced as compared with conventional processes. Final Annealing Step As with non-heat treated alloys, an anneal step can optionally be used to obtain an "O" or "T4" temper for heat treatable alloys. Cooling from the annealing temperature may be rapid, using for example a water quench, to produce a solution treated "T" temper product in alloys 7X75 or 2X24, or slow to produce an "O" temper product. EXAMPLE 1 To demonstrate the present invention for producing superplastic properties in heat-treatable alloys, three ingots of AA 7475 alloy approximately 16 inches (0.4m) thick were homogenized for 24 hours at 965°F (518°C) and then cooled to room temperature; machined to remove undesirable surface features ("scalped") and re-heated for rolling at 800°F (427°C). They were then hot rolled on a reversing mill in the temperature range of 800 to 700°F (427 to 371°C) to a slab with a thickness of 6 inches (152mm) at which gauge it was allowed it to cool naturally to room temperature, that is at about 100°F/hr (56°C/hr). Subsequently, the slab was heated to 760°F (404°C) and held at that temperature for 8 hours, and transferred back to the hot rolling mill where it was rolled in a reversing mill and then in a 5 stand continuous mill to a gauge of 0.25" (6.35mm) and then coiled. By adjusting the cooling through the rolling sequence using techniques familiar to those familiar with the art of rolling, for example, lubricant flow volumes, mill speed, etc., it was possible to control the hot rolling exit temperature, which in this case was also the coiling temperature, and coiled each rolled ingot at different temperatures, specifically 580°F, (304°C), 500°F (260°C) and 420°F (216°C). After cooling the coils in air to room temperature at about 10 to 30°F/hr (5.6 to 17°C/hr), sections were cold rolled in the same rolling directions to different gauges. The cold rolled sheets were then flash heated in a salt bath or in stirred air for 10 minutes approximately to recrystallize them and to obtain a fine grain size in each as illustrated in Fig. 4. The sheets were water quenched from the annealing temperature EXAMPLE 2 To demonstrate the present invention for producing superplastic properties in non-heat treatable alloys, two scalped ingots of alloy AA5083, approximately 16 inches (0.4m) thick were homogenized for 20 hours at 925 to 975°F (496 to 524°C) and hot rolled to strip in the continuously decreasing temperature range to 640°F (338°C) and 500°F (260°C) respectively, using the same temperature control techniques as in Example 1 above. Upon exiting the mill, the strips were immediately coiled and allowed to coil naturally to ambient temperature. The coil was then cold rolled various amounts up to about 84% as depicted in Fig. 5. Those sections were then rapidly heated by salt bath annealing or by circulating air to recrystallize them, and the grain size then measured as shown in Fig. 5. Superplastic elongations by using longitudinal and transverse uniaxial tensile test specimens tested at a strain rate of 2 x 10 4 and at a temperature of 1022°F (550°C) were determined.

Claims: A method of producing an aluminium alloy having superplastic properties, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an aluminium alloy; (b) heating the alloy; (c) hot rolling the alloy at an initial temperature; (d) cooling the alloy during hot rolling to an exit temperature ranging from 650°F to 70°F (343°C to 21°C) such that strain energy in the alloy is retained and the loss of this energy by recrystallisation and recovery is impeded; and (e) cold rolling to a gauge corresponding to a percentage of cold work falling within the zone (ABCD of figure 2) defined by the lines joining the points (475°F, 246°C; 10%), (650°F, 343°C; 99%), (70°F, 21°C; 99%) and (70°F, 21°C; 10%) in a graphic representation of the relationship between the hot rolling exit temperature and the percent of cold work, thereby producing an aluminium alloy capable of having superplastic properties. A method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (e), the alloy is cold rolled to a gauge corresponding to a percentage of cold work falling within the zone defined by the lines joining the points (350°F, 177°C; 10%), (600°F, 316°C; 99%), (70°F, 21°C; 99%) and (70°F, 21°C; 10%) in a graphic representation of the relationship between the hot rolling exit temperature and the percent of cold work. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the heating in step (b) comprises homogenizing the alloy at a temperature ranging from 750 to 1100°F (399 to 593°C) for 1 to 24 hours. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the alloy is hot rolled in step (c) at an initial temperature ranging from 700 to 1000°F (371 to 538°C). A method according to any preceding claim, further comprising annealing the cold rolled alloy, thereby producing an aluminium alloy having superplastic properties. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the aluminium alloy is selected from AA 3000 and AA 5000 series alloys. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the alloy consists essentially of 4.0 to 4.9 wt.% magnesium; 0.4 to 1.0 wt.% manganese; not more than 0.25 wt.% chromium; not more than 0.4 wt.% iron; not more than 0.4 wt.% silicon; and the balance aluminium. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising the following steps in between steps (b) and (c) : (i) initial hot rolling of the alloy; and (ii) holding at a temperature and time period sufficient to create precipitates of intermetallic constituents having a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 10 µ m; wherein the alloy is heat-treatable. A method according to claim 8, wherein the heat-treatable aluminium alloy is selected from AA 2000 and AA 7000 series alloys. A method according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the heat-treatable alloy consists essentially of 5.2 to 6.2 wt.% zinc, 1.9 to 2.6 wt.% magnesium, 1.2 to 1.9 wt.% copper, and 0.18 to 0.28 wt.% chromium. A method according to claim 8, wherein the heat-treatable aluminium alloy consists essentially of not more than 6 wt.% copper, not more than 2 wt.% magnesium, the balance being essentially aluminium and impurities. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the initially hot rolled alloy is held at a temperature ranging from 650 to 850°F (343 to 454°C) for at least 2 hours.

Inventors: BROWN KEVIN R, BROWN, KEVIN R., Brown, Kevin R., c/o Kaiser Aluminum &amp; Chem. Corp.
Applicants: KAISER ALUMINIUM CHEM CORP, KAISER ALUMINIUM & CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Application year: 1996
Main classification: C22F1
IPC codes: C22F1, C22C21