Patent ID: 8852365

Claim:
A method for processing an aluminum alloy, the method comprising: forming the aluminum alloy in a form of a molten alloy, the aluminum alloy comprising: aluminum; magnesium from about 0.5 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy; scandium from about 0.05 percent to about 10.0 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy; and an enhancing system from about 0.05 percent to about 1.5 percent by weight based on the aluminum alloy, wherein the enhancing system is selected from the group consisting of: titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, silver, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, beryllium, calcium, strontium, barium, boron, germanium, indium, tin, lead, bismuth, and thorium; casting the molten alloy into a plurality of sections using a continuous casting process, wherein casting prevents formation of scandium-rich phases in the molten alloy; forming a plurality of blanks from the plurality of sections; welding the plurality of blanks into a structure; and thereafter heating the structure in a manner that increases a strength of the plurality of blanks welded into the structure.