Granted Patent B2

US 7,704,333 · App. 11/625,113 · Granted Apr 27, 2010

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. An aluminum alloy wrought product having improved strength and ductility, consisting essentially of:

a) Cu 3.8-5.2 wt. %,

Mg 0.2-0.6 wt. %

Mn 0.2-0.5 wt. %

Ag 0.2-0.5 wt. %

Ti 0.02-0.12 wt. % and

optionally one or more selected from the group consisting of Cr 0.1-0.8 wt. %, Hf 0.1-1.0 wt. %, Sc 0.03-0.6 wt. %, and V 0.05-0.15 wt. %,

b) balance aluminum and normal and/or inevitable elements and impurities,

and wherein said alloy is substantially zirconium-free.

2. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , comprising Ti 0.05-0.12 wt. %.

3. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , comprising Sc 0.03-0.25 wt. %.

4. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , comprising Hf 0.1-1.0 wt. %.

5. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , comprising V 0.05-0.15 wt. %.

6. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , comprising Cr 0.1-0.8 wt. %.

7. An aluminum alloy wrought product having improved strength and ductility, consisting essentially of:

a) Cu 4.7-5.3 wt. %,

Mg 0.2-0.6 wt. %

Mn 0.2-0.5 wt. %

Ag 0.2-0.5 wt. %

Ti 0.05-0.12 wt. % and

optionally one or more selected from the group consisting of Cr 0.1-0.8 wt. %, Hf 0.1-1.0 wt. %, Sc 0.05-0.6 wt. %, and V 0.05-0.15 wt. %.

b) balance aluminum and normal and/or inevitable elements and impurities,

and wherein said alloy is substantially zirconium-free.

8. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , wherein Cu 4.70-5.20 wt. %.

9. An aluminum alloy according to claim 7 , wherein Cu 4.70-5.20 wt. %.

10. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , wherein Zr is less than 0.03 wt. %.

11. An aluminum alloy according to claim 7 , wherein Zr is less than 0.03 wt. %.

12. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , wherein Zr is less than 0.01 wt. %.

13. An aluminum alloy according to claim 10 , wherein Zr is less than 0.01 wt. %.

14. An aluminum alloy according to claim 1 , which has been solution heat treated, quenched, stress relieved and/or artificially aged.

15. An aluminum alloy of claim 8 that has been formed into a sheet product with a thickness comprised between about 5 and 25 mm having at least one mechanical property (L-direction) selected from the group consisting of

a) an elongation of at least about 13.5% and a UTS of at least about 69.5 ksi (479.2 MPa) and

b) an elongation of at least about 15.5% and a UTS of at least about 69 ksi (475.7 MPa).

16. A structural member suitable for use in aircraft construction comprising an aluminum alloy according to claim 1 .

17. A wrought product comprising an aluminum alloy according to claim 1 .

18. A method for producing an aircraft structural member comprising forming an alloy according to claim 1 into said structural member.

19. A sheet comprising an aluminum alloy that is substantially free of zirconium according to claim 1 , said sheet having a thickness ranging from about 2 mm to about 10 mm, and a fracture toughness K c , determined at room temperature from the R-curve measure on a 406 mm wide CCT panel in the L-T orientation, which equals or exceeds about 170 Mpa√m, and the fatigue crack propagation rate determined according to ASTM E 647 on a CCT-specimen having a width of 400 mm, at constant amplitude R=0.1 that is equal to or below about 3.0 10 −2 mm/cycle at ΔK=60 Mpa√m.

20. A sheet comprising an aluminum alloy that is substantially free of zirconium according to claim 1 , said sheet having a thickness ranging from about 5 mm to about 25 mm and an elongation of at least about 13.5% and a UTS of at least about 69.5 ksi (479.2 MPa), and/or an elongation of at least about 15.5% and a UTS of at least about 69 ksi (475.7 MPa).

21. A wrought product comprising a sheet according to claim 20 .

22. An aircraft structural member comprising a sheet according to claim 20 .

23. A wrought product comprising a sheet according to claim 19 .

24. An aircraft structural member comprising a sheet according to claim 19 .

Assignments (11)