ECAE MATERIALS FOR HIGH STRENGTH ALUMINUM ALLOYS
A method of forming a high strength aluminum alloy. The method comprises subjecting an aluminum material containing at least one of magnesium, manganese, silicon, copper, and zinc at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight to an equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) process. The method produces a high strength aluminum alloy having an average grain size from about 0.2 μm to about 0.8 μm and a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 650 MPa.
1 . A method of forming a high strength aluminum alloy, the method comprising:
heating an aluminum material containing aluminum as a primary component and at least one of magnesium, manganese, silicon, copper, and zinc as a secondary component at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight to a temperature from about 400° C. to about 550° C. to form a heated aluminum material;
quenching the heated aluminum material to room temperature to form a cooled aluminum material;
subjecting the cooled aluminum material to an equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) process while maintaining the cooled aluminum material at a temperature from about 20° C. to about 200° C. to form a high strength aluminum alloy, wherein the high strength aluminum alloy has an average grain size from about 0.2 μm to about 0.8 μm in diameter and a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 650 MPa.
2 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum material contains from about 2.0 wt. % to about 7.5 wt. % zinc and from about 0.5 wt. % to about 4.0 wt. % magnesium.
3 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum material contains from about 0.3 wt. % to about 3.0 wt. % magnesium and from about 0.2 wt. % to about 2.0 wt. % silicon.
4 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum material contains from about 0.5 wt. % to about 7.0 wt. % copper.
5 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum material contains from about 0.5 wt. % to about 7.0 wt. % magnesium and from about 0.1 wt. % to about 2.0 wt. % manganese.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ECAE process is completed within 24 hours of the quenching step.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ECAE process includes at least two ECAE passes.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising subjecting the cooled aluminum material to an aging step before the ECAE process.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the aging step includes heating the cooled aluminum material to a temperature from about 80° C. to about 200° C. for from about 15 minutes to about 40 hours.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum material containing aluminum as a primary component and zinc and magnesium as secondary components has a yield strength from about 400 MPa to about 650 MPa.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum material containing aluminum as a primary component and magnesium and silicon as secondary components has a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 600 MPa.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum material containing aluminum as a primary component and copper as a secondary component has a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 600 MPa.
13 . The method claim 1 , wherein the high strength aluminum alloy containing aluminum a primary component and magnesium and manganese as secondary components has a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 500 MPa.
14 . A high strength aluminum alloy material comprising:
an aluminum material containing at least one of magnesium, manganese, silicon, copper, and zinc at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight, wherein
the aluminum material has an average grain size from about 0.2 μm to about 0.8 μm in diameter; and
an average yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 650 MPa.
15 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 14 , wherein the aluminum material contains aluminum as a primary component and at least one of magnesium, manganese, silicon, copper, and zinc as a secondary component.
16 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 14 , wherein the aluminum material containing aluminum as a primary component and zinc and magnesium as secondary components has a yield strength from about 400 MPa to about 650 MPa.
17 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 14 , wherein the aluminum material containing aluminum as a primary component and magnesium and silicon as secondary components has a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 600 MPa.
18 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 14 , wherein the aluminum material containing aluminum as a primary component and copper as a secondary component has a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 650 MPa.
19 . The high strength aluminum alloy of claim 14 , wherein the aluminum material containing aluminum a primary component and magnesium and manganese as secondary components has a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 550 MPa.
20 . A device case formed of the high strength aluminum alloy of claim 14 .