Granted Patent B2

US 12,263,890 · App. 16/875,472 · Granted Apr 1, 2025

Inventors: Guillaume Florey (Veyras, CH); Cyrille Bezencon (Chermignon, CH); Corrado Bassi (Salgesch, CH); Juergen Timm (Steisslingen, DE); Jean-Francois Despois (Grone, CH); Jacques Stadlin (Pont-de-la-Morge, CH)

Assignee: NOVELIS INC.

B62D29/008B22D7/005B32B15/016C22C21/00C22C21/02C22C21/08C22F1/04C22F1/043C22F1/047

Abstract

Claims (24)

1. An aluminum alloy for a cladding layer, the aluminum alloy comprising 0.2 to 0.6 wt. % Fe, 0.06 to 0.25 wt. % Mn, up to 0.25 wt. % Si, up to 0.5 wt. % Cu, up to 1.5 wt. % Mg, up to 0.4 wt. % Zn, one or more additional elements selected from the group consisting of Ni, Ti, Co, Nb, Cr, V, Zr, Hf and Ta, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al; wherein the aluminum alloy comprises a total amount of Ni, V, and Co greater than 0.20 wt. %; wherein at least one of Ni or Co is present in an amount of 0.05 to 0.60 wt. %; wherein the aluminum alloy comprises grains having an average grain size from 10 microns to less than 30 microns;

wherein the aluminum alloy is subjected to hot rolling to produce a rolled aluminum alloy product;

wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product exhibits an elongation at break of at least 20% in directions longitudinal, transverse, and diagonal to a rolling direction of the rolled aluminum alloy product; and

wherein the rolled aluminum alloy product exhibits a bend angle of lower than 9° after being subjected to uniaxial pre-straining at 15% at 90° to the rolling direction and/or ageing at 180° C. for up to 10 hours.

2. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , comprising 0.25 to 0.55 wt. % Fe, 0.08 to 0.20 wt. % Mn, up to 0.25 wt. % Si, up to 0.25 wt. % Cu, up to 0.25 wt. % Mg, up to 0.20 wt. % Zn, one or more additional elements selected from the group consisting of Ni, Ti, Co, Nb, Cr, V, Zr, Hf and Ta, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al.

3. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , comprising 0.25 to 0.55 wt. % Fe, 0.08 to 0.20 wt. % Mn, up to 0.12 wt. % Si, up to 0.05 wt. % Cu, 0.3 to 1.2 wt. % Mg, up to 0.05 wt. % Zn, one or more additional elements selected from the group consisting of Ni, Ti, Co, Nb, Cr, V, Zr, Hf and Ta, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al.

4. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional elements comprises Ti in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.15 wt. %.

5. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional elements comprises V in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.2 wt. %.

6. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional elements comprises Ni in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.60 wt. %.

7. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional elements comprises Co in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.60 wt. %.

8. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional elements comprises Nb in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.3 wt. %, Cr in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.2wt. %, Zr in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.25 wt. %, Hf in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.30 wt. %, or Ta in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.20 wt. %.

9. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , comprising 0.2 to 0.5 wt. % Fe, up to 0.25 wt. % Si, up to 0.25 wt. % Cu, 0.1 to 0.2 wt. % Mn, up to 0.1 wt. % Mg, up to 0.15 wt. % Cr, up to 0.20 wt. % Zn, up to 0.6 wt. % Ni, up to 0.12 wt. % Ti, up to 0.6 wt. % Co, up to 0.2 wt. % Nb, up to 0.18 wt. % V, up to 0.25 wt. % Zr, up to 0.30 wt. % Hf, up to 0.15 wt. % Ta, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al.

10. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the combined content of Fe, Mn, Cr, Ti, Co, Ni, and V present in the aluminum alloy ranges from 0.60 wt. % to 0.90 wt. %.

11. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the average grain size is from 15 microns to 25 microns.

12. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises 0.05 wt. % to 0.15 wt. % Ti.

13. A multi-layer metal sheet comprising:

a core layer,

a first cladding layer comprising an aluminum alloy comprising 0.2 to 0.6 wt. % Fe, 0.06 to 0.25 wt. % Mn, up to 0.20 wt. % Si, up to 0.5 wt. % Cu, up to 0.45 wt. % Mg, up to 0.4 wt. % Zn, one or more additional elements selected from the group consisting of Ni, Ti, Co, Nb, Cr, V, Zr, Hf and Ta, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and Al, and

a second cladding layer,

wherein the core layer comprises a first side and a second side, and the first cladding layer is adjacent to the first side of the core layer to form a first interface and the second cladding layer is adjacent to the second side of the core layer to form a second interface,

wherein the first cladding layer comprises Fe, Mn, Cr, Ti, Co, Ni and V such that the total weight-percent (wt. %) of the Fe, Mn, Cr, Ti, Co, Ni, and V is between 0.60 wt. % and 0.90 wt. %.

14. The multi-layer metal sheet of claim 13 , wherein the core layer comprises an AA6xxx alloy, an AA2xxx alloy, an AA5xxx alloy, or an AA7xxx alloy.

15. A product prepared from the multi-layer metal sheet of claim 13 , wherein the product is a motor vehicle body part.

16. The product of claim 15 , wherein the motor vehicle body part is a body side panel.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (148)