IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,522,896
Granted Patent B2
US 12,522,896 · App. 18/478,703 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Aluminum alloy compositions, articles therefrom, and methods of producing articles therefrom

Inventors: Samuel James Tonneslan (Long Beach, CA); Van Earl Bishop Wright, Jr. (Long Beach, CA); Ross Patterson (Long Beach, CA); Erik Richman (Long Beach, CA); Sean Orzolek (Long Beach, CA); Molly Kaplan (Long Beach, CA); Fritz C. Gruber (Long Beach, CA); Timothy Langan (Long Beach, CA)
Assignee: Relativity Space, Inc.
C22C21/06B22F10/28C22F1/047B22F2301/052B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y70/00B33Y80/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,522,896
App. No.
18/478,703
Granted
Jan 13, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems of weldable wires, powder, and materials comprising an aluminum-magnesium-scandium alloy, and methods for additive manufacturing the alloy are described. The alloy can be utilized in additive manufacturing to additively manufacture at industrial scales. With post treatment, the additive manufactured alloys can have advantageous properties for aerospace applications.

Claims (28)

1 . An article comprising:

a layered structure comprising an aluminum-magnesium-scandium alloy, wherein the aluminum-magnesium-scandium alloy comprises:

Sc greater than or equal to 0.23 and less than or equal to 0.37 weight percent;

Zr greater than or equal to 0.11 and less than or equal to 0.19 weight percent;

Mg greater than or equal to 4.1 and less than or equal to 5.6 weight percent;

Mn greater than or equal to 0.15 and less than or equal to 0.25 weight percent;

Ti greater than or equal to 0.05 and less than or equal to 0.15 weight percent;

each of Si, Fe, Cu, and Zn less than or equal to 0.1 weight percent; and

with a balance of the composition being Al,

wherein the article has a yield strength of greater than or equal to 200 MPa and a tensile strength of greater than or equal to 280 MPa after a T5 age-after-print heat treatment process.

2 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises less than or equal to 0.2 wt % Cr.

3 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises less than or equal to 0.1 wt % of at least one of Cd, Hg, Ag, B, and Li.

4 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises less than or equal to 0.002 wt % B.

5 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises less than or equal to 0.0008 wt % Be.

6 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises less than or equal to 0.05 wt % Si.

7 . The article of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of Zr to Sc is less than or equal to 0.51, when determined according to the formula: (Zr wt %/Sc wt %).

8 . The article of claim 1 , where the wt % of Mn present in the composition exceeds the wt % of Fe present in the composition combined with the wt % of Si presented in the composition.

9 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one trace element less than or equal to 0.05 weight percent, and a total amount of trace element less than or equal to 0.15 weight percent.

10 . The article of claim 9 , wherein the at least one trace element is selected from the group consisting of: an element from the lanthanide group, yttrium (Y), niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), and any combination thereof.

11 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least one primary particle or domain of Al 3 (Sc, Zr) having at least one dimension of less than or equal to 20 μm.

12 . The article of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the article has a height at least 1000 times greater than a thickness of the same portion of the article.

13 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the article has a yield strength of greater than or equal to 225 MPa and a tensile strength of greater than or equal to 300 MPa after the heat treatment.

14 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the heat treatment is a process where the article is heated at a temperature at least 275° C. and less than a melting point of the article for a period of less than or equal to 12 hours, and omits a homogenization heat treatment.

15 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the heat treatment temperature is less than or equal to 335° C.

16 . The article of claim 1 , wherein after the heat treatment, the article has a degree of sensitization (DoS) mass loss of less than or equal to 15 mg/cm 2 .

17 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the Mn content is greater than 0.2 and less than 0.25 weight percent.

18 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the layered structure comprises layers of cylindrical or oval shaped contours that additively stack to form the article.

19 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the Sc composition is greater than or equal to 0.28 and less than or equal to 0.32 weight percent.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2025
From: WRIGHT, VAN EARL BISHOP, JR.; PATTERSON, ROSS; RICHMAN, ERIK; ORZOLEK, SEAN; KAPLAN, MOLLY; GRUBER, FRITZ C.; LANGAN, TIMOTHY
To: RELATIVITY SPACE, INC.
Reel/Frame 072753/0942 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2025
From: SPACE LENDER, LLC
To: RELATIVITY SPACE, INC.
Reel/Frame 071574/0331 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2025
From: RELATIVITY SPACE, INC.
To: SPACE LENDER, LLC
Reel/Frame 070589/0814 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2024
From: RELATIVITY SPACE, INC.
To: SPACE LENDER, LLC
Reel/Frame 069391/0664 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2024
From: TONNESLAN, SAMUEL JAMES
To: RELATIVITY SPACE, INC.
Reel/Frame 067572/0657 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 17929558 · Sep 2, 2022
Provisional Application 63325528 · Mar 30, 2022
Related Publication 20240026497A1 · Jan 25, 2024
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