High-strength aluminum alloy brazing sheet and method of manufacture

1. A method of manufacturing a high strength aluminum alloy brazing sheet comprising:

casting a core material to provide a cast core material;

casting a filler material to provide a cast filler material;

combining the cast core material with the cast filler material so that the cast filler material Is cladded to at least one surface of the cast core material to produce a composite material;

a heating process wherein the composite material is heated and held after the combining to form a heat treated composite material; and

hot clad rolling the heat treated composite material,

wherein the core material is cast at a casting speed V (mm/min) with application of an amount of cooling water W (kg/min×cm) so that the casting speed and amount of cooling water satisfy formula (1):

25≦0.4× V+W   (1);

wherein the composite material is held at a temperature within a range of about 400° C. to about 500° C. over a time period of 0 hrs to about 10 hrs during the heating process;

wherein the time period for the hot clad rolling which is counted from start of the hot clad rolling to the time taken to reduce an initial thickness of the composite material by 50 mm is at most 5 min,

wherein the temperature of the composite material falls within a range of about 400° C. to about 450° C. when the thickness of the composite material is reduced by 50 mm;

wherein a time period counted from the time when the thickness of the composite material is reduced by 50 mm to the time taken to reduce the thickness of the composite material to 20 mm is at most 10 min;

wherein the temperature of the composite material is about 300° C. to about 400° C. when the thickness of the composite material is reduced to 20 mm;

wherein a time period which is counted from the rolling start to a rolling end is at most 40 min; and

wherein the core material comprises an aluminum alloy comprising: Si within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.2 mass %, Fe within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.0 mass %, Cu within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.2 mass %, and Mn within a range of about 0.6 mass % to about 1.8 mass %, and as balance Al and inevitable impurities; and

wherein an area percentage of the core material is occupied with intermetallic compounds having a size within a range of about 0.2 μm to about 0.5 μm wherein the area percentage is at most 5%; and

wherein a solid solution amount of Mn is at least 0.2 mass % in the core material; and

wherein the filler material comprises an Al/Si-based alloy comprising Si within a range of about 2.5 mass % to about 13.0 mass %, Fe within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.0 mass %, and as balance Al and inevitable impurities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the aluminum alloy of the core material further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.5 mass %, Ti within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, Zr within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, Cr within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, and V within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the Al/Si-based alloy of filler material cladded td the the at least one surface of the core material further comprises Zn within a range of about 0.3 mass % to about 5.5 mass %.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite material has a thickness of about 250 mm to about 800 mm prior to the hot clad rolling.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the core material has not been subjected to homogenization.

6. A method of manufacturing a high strength aluminum alloy brazing sheet comprising:

casting a core material to provide a cast core material;

casting a filler material to provide a cast filler material;

casting a sacrificial anode material to provide a cast sacrificial anode material, combining the cast core material with the cast filler material and the cast sacrificial anode material so that the cast filler material is cladded to at least one surface of the cast core material and the cast sacrificial anode material is applied to another surface of the cast core material to produce a composite material;

a heating process wherein the composite material is heated and held after the combining to form a heat treated composite material; and

hot clad rolling the heat treated composite material,

wherein the core material is cast at a casting speed V (mm/min) with application of an amount of cooling water W (kg/min×cm) so that the casting speed and amount of cooling water satisfy formula (1):

25≦0.4× V+W   (1);

wherein the composite material is held at a temperature within a range of about 400° C. to about 500° C. over a time period of 0 hrs to about 10 hrs during the heating process;

wherein the time period for the hot clad rolling which is counted from start of the hot clad rolling to the time taken to reduce an initial thickness of the composite material by 50 mm is at most 5 min,

wherein the temperature of the composite material falls within a range of about 400° C. to about 450° C. when the thickness of the composite material is reduced by 50 mm;

wherein a time period counted from the time when the thickness of the composite material is reduced by 50 mm to the time taken to reduce the thickness of the composite material to 20 mm is at most 10 min,

wherein the temperature of the composite material is about 300° C. to about 400° C. when the thickness of the composite material is reduced to 20 mm;

wherein a time period which is counted from the rolling start to a rolling end is at most 40 min, and

wherein the core material comprises an aluminum alloy comprising: Si within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.2 mass %, Fe within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.0 mass %, Cu within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.2 mass %, and Mn within a range of about 0.6 mass % to about 1.8 mass %, and as balance Al and inevitable impurities; and

wherein an area percentage of the core material is occupied with intermetallic compounds having a size within a range of about 0.2 μm to about 0.5 μm wherein the area percentage is at most 5%; and

wherein a solid solution amount of Mn is at least 0.2 mass % in the core; and

wherein the filler material comprises an Al/Si-based alloy comprising Si within a range of about 2.5 mass % to about 13.0 mass %, Fe within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.0 mass %, and as balance Al and inevitable impurities; and

wherein the sacrificial anode material comprises an aluminum alloy comprising: Zn within a range of about 0.5 mass % to about 6.0 mass %, Si within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.5 mass %, and Fe within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 2.0 mass %, and balance Al and inevitable impurities.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the aluminum alloy of the core material further comprises at least one of Mg within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.5 mass %, Ti within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, Zr within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, Cr within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, and V within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the Al/Si-based alloy of the filler material cladded to the at least one surface of the core material further comprises Zn within a range of about 0.3 mass % to about 5.5 mass %.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the aluminum alloy of the sacrificial anode material further comprises at least one of Mn within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 1.8 mass %, Mg within a range of about 0.5 mass % to about 3.0 mass %, Ti within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, Zr mass % within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, Cr will range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %, and V within a range of about 0.05 mass % to about 0.3 mass %.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the composite material has a thickness of about 250 mm to about 800 mm prior to the hot clad rolling.