Aluminum-iron-zirconium alloys
Aluminum-Iron-Zirconium alloys that exhibit improved electrical and mechanical properties.
1. An aluminum alloy comprising:
0.3% to about 0.7% iron by weight;
about 0.1% to about 0.5% zirconium by weight;
about 0.01% to about 0.2% of an inoculant by weight; about 0.01 to 0.1% silicon by weight; and aluminum as the remainder;
wherein the aluminum alloy comprises a plurality of nanoscale precipitates having an L1 2 -structure in an α-Al face centered cubic matrix, the plurality of precipitates comprising Al 3 Zr precipitates, and the plurality of precipitates being present in the aluminum alloy at a density of about 10 21 precipitates per m 3 or more.
2. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the inoculant comprises one or more of tin, indium, antimony, and magnesium.
3. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the inoculant comprises one or more of zinc, gallium, germanium, lead, arsenic, and bismuth.
4. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the inoculant comprises at least one Group 3A, 4A, 5A metal or metalloid.
5. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein
the inoculant comprises tin;
the aluminum comprises about 99% of the aluminum alloy by weight;
the iron comprises 0.3% to about 0.5% of the aluminum alloy by weight;
the zirconium comprises about 0.2% to about 0.4% of the aluminum alloy by weight; and
the tin comprises about 0.01% to about 0.2% of the aluminum alloy by weight.
6. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein
the aluminum comprises about 99% of the aluminum alloy by weight;
the iron comprises 0.3% to about 0.5% of the aluminum alloy by weight;
the zirconium comprises about 0.2% to about 0.4% of the aluminum alloy by weight; and
the inoculant comprises about 0.01% to about 0.2% of the aluminum alloy by weight.
7. An aluminum alloy comprising:
about 99% aluminum by weight;
about 0.55% iron by weight;
about 0.34% zirconium by weight; and
inoculant, wherein the inoculant comprises tin, and the tin comprises about 0.1% of the aluminum alloy by weight;
wherein the aluminum alloy comprises a plurality of nanoscale precipitates having an L1 2 -structure in an α-Al face centered cubic matrix, the plurality of precipitates comprising Al 3 Zr precipitates, and the plurality of precipitates being present in the aluminum alloy at a density of about 10 21 precipitates per m 3 or more.
8. An aluminum alloy comprising:
about 99% aluminum by weight;
about 0.4% to about 0.5% iron by weight;
about 0.25% to about 0.3% zirconium by weight; and
inoculant, wherein the inoculant comprises tin, and the tin comprises about 0.05% to about 0.1% of the aluminum alloy by weight;
wherein the aluminum alloy comprises a plurality of nanoscale precipitates having an L1 2 -structure in an α-Al face centered cubic matrix, the plurality of precipitates comprising Al 3 Zr precipitates, and the plurality of precipitates being present in the aluminum alloy at a density of about 10 21 precipitates per m 3 or more.
9. An aluminum alloy comprising:
about 99% aluminum by weight;
about 0.43% iron by weight;
about 0.27% zirconium by weight;
about 0.04% silicon by weight; and
inoculant, wherein the inoculant comprises tin, and the tin comprises about 0.07% of the aluminum alloy by weight;
wherein the aluminum alloy comprises a plurality of nanoscale precipitates having an L1 2 -structure in an α-Al face centered cubic matrix, the plurality of precipitates comprising Al 3 Zr precipitates, and the plurality of precipitates being present in the aluminum alloy at a density of about 10 21 precipitates per m 3 or more.
10. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 20 nm or less.
11. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 10 nm or less.
12. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 3 nm to about 7 nm.
13. The aluminum alloy of claim 3 , wherein the inoculant comprises about 0.05% to about 0.1% of the aluminum alloy by weight.
14. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of precipitates comprises Al—Zr—X precipitates, X being the inoculant.
15. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the silicon comprises about 0.04% of the aluminum alloy by weight.
16. The aluminum alloy of claim 7 , further comprising silicon, wherein the silicon comprises about 0.01% to about 0.2% of the aluminum alloy by weight.
17. The aluminum alloy of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 20 nm or less.
18. The aluminum alloy of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 10 nm or less.
19. The aluminum alloy of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 3 nm to about 7 nm.
20. The aluminum alloy of claim 8 , further comprising silicon, wherein the silicon comprises about 0.01% to about 0.2% of the aluminum alloy by weight.
21. The aluminum alloy of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 20 nm or less.
22. The aluminum alloy of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 10 nm or less.
23. The aluminum alloy of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of precipitates has an average diameter of about 3 nm to about 7 nm.
24. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the iron comprises 0.35% to about 0.7% of the aluminum alloy by weight.