IP Library Granted Patent US 11,766,846
Granted Patent B2
US 11,766,846 · App. 16/946,292 · Granted Sep 26, 2023

Clad aluminum alloy products

Inventors: Rajeev G. Kamat (Marietta, GA); Hashem Mousavi-Anijdan (Kennesaw, GA); Rahul Vilas Kulkarni (Marietta, GA); Juergen Timm (Steisslingen, DE); Corrado Bassi (Salgesch, CH); Robert Bruce Wagstaff (Greenacres, WA); Guillaume Florey (Veyras, CH); Cyrille Bezencon (Chermignon, CH); Samuel R. Wagstaff (Marietta, GA); David Leyvraz (Sierre, CH)
Assignee: Novelis Inc.
B32B15/016B32B15/01C22C21/02C22C21/08C22C21/10C22F1/053Y10T428/12764
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,766,846
App. No.
16/946,292
Granted
Sep 26, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided herein are new clad aluminum alloy products and methods of making these alloys. These alloy products possess a combination of strength and other key attributes, such as corrosion resistance, formability, and joining capabilities. The alloy products can be used in a variety of applications, including automotive, transportation, and electronics applications.

Claims (20)

1. A clad aluminum alloy product, comprising:

a core layer comprising up to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % Mg, 0.3 to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 0.60 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.20 wt. % Mn, up to 0.20 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum, wherein the core layer has a first side and a second side;

a first cladding layer on the first side of the core layer, wherein the first cladding layer comprises an aluminum alloy different from the core layer comprising from 0.6 wt. % to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 0.1 to 4.15 wt. % Mg, up to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 0.60 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.20 wt. % Mn, up to 0.20 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum;

wherein in the clad aluminum product is prepared by homogenizing the core and first cladding layers at a temperature from 400° C. to 500° C., solutionizing, and quenching at a rate greater than 50° C./s; and wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has a bend angle of from 45 to 120 as measured by a three-point bend test according to VDA Standard 238-100, normalized to 2.0 mm.

2. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the core layer comprises 5.0 to 9.5 wt. % Zn, 1.2 to 2.3 wt. % Mg, 0.6 to 2.6 wt. % Cu, up to 0.10 wt. % Si, up to 0.15 wt. % Fe, up to 0.05 wt. % Mn, up to 0.05 wt. % Cr, up to 0.25 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

3. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the first cladding layer comprises 5.0 to 9.5 wt. % Zn, 1.2 to 2.3 wt. % Mg, 0.10 to 2.6 wt. % Cu, up to 0.10 wt. % Si, up to 0.15 wt. % Fe, up to 0.05 wt. % Mn, up to 0.05 wt. % Cr, up to 0.25 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

4. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the first cladding layer comprises 1.0 to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % Mg, up to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 1.5 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.45 wt. % Mn, up to 0.30 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

5. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the first core layer comprises 1.0 to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % Mg, up to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 1.5 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.45 wt. % Mn, up to 0.30 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

6. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the core layer has a thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm.

7. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 6 , wherein the core layer has a thickness of 0.7 to 2.3 mm.

8. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the first cladding layer has a thickness of 1 to 25% of a total thickness of the clad aluminum alloy product.

9. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 8 , wherein the first cladding layer has a thickness of 1 to 12% of the total thickness of the clad aluminum alloy product.

10. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 9 , wherein the first cladding layer has a thickness of 10% of the total thickness of the clad aluminum alloy product.

11. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has a yield strength up to 600 MPa.

12. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 11 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has a yield strength of 550 MPa.

13. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has an elongation up to 20%.

14. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 13 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product has an elongation up to 15%.

15. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product is a sheet, a plate, an electronic device housing, an automotive structural part, an aerospace structural part, an aerospace non-structural part, a marine structural part, or a marine non-structural part.

16. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the R/t ratio of the clad aluminum alloy product is 1.1 or lower.

17. The clad aluminum alloy product of claim 1 , wherein the clad aluminum alloy product further comprises a second cladding layer on the second side of the core layer comprising up to 12.0 wt. % Zn, 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % Mg, up to 3.0 wt. % Cu, up to 0.60 wt. % Si, up to 0.50 wt. % Fe, up to 0.20 wt. % Mn, up to 0.20 wt. % Cr, up to 0.30 wt. % Zr, up to 0.15 wt. % impurities, and aluminum.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2025
From: NOVELIS INC.; NOVELIS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH; NOVELIS KOBLENZ GMBH
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 070495/0110 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2025
From: NOVELIS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH; NOVELIS INC.; NOVELIS KOBLENZ GMBH
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 070481/0417 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2020
From: KAMAT, RAJEEV G.; MOUSAVI-ANIJDAN, HASHEM; KULKARNI, RAHUL VILAS; TIMM, JUERGEN; BASSI, CORRADO; WAGSTAFF, ROBERT BRUCE; FLOREY, GUILLAUME; BEZENCON, CYRILLE; WAGSTAFF, SAMUEL R.; LEYVRAZ, DAVID
To: NOVELIS INC.
Reel/Frame 052940/0522 →