CN115896566A

CN115896566A - Aluminum alloy, part prepared from aluminum alloy and vehicle comprising part

Info

Publication number: CN115896566A
Application number: CN202211711272.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘华初; 段祯荣; 姚乙; 石春梅; G·休斯
Original assignee: Shuaiyichi New Material Group Co ltd; Weilai Automobile Technology Anhui Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shuaiyichi New Material Group Co ltd; Weilai Automobile Technology Anhui Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-29
Filing date: 2022-12-29
Publication date: 2023-04-04

Abstract

The invention relates to an aluminum alloy, a part prepared from the aluminum alloy and a vehicle comprising the part. The aluminum alloy includes: 3-6 wt% silicon, 6-18 wt% zinc, 0-3 wt% copper, 0-3 wt% magnesium, 0-0.3 wt% chromium, 0-0.6 wt% manganese, 0-0.3 wt% vanadium, at least 0.01 wt% titanium, at least 100ppm strontium, 0-1 wt% iron, the balance being aluminum and unavoidable impurities, wherein when manganese is absent, the chromium content is not less than 0.2 wt%; when chromium is not present, the content of manganese is not less than 0.3% by weight. The aluminum alloy can avoid a heat treatment process after casting in the processing process, is beneficial to energy conservation and emission reduction, and parts prepared from the aluminum alloy can meet the mechanical property requirement of automobile structure castings.

Description

Aluminum alloy, part prepared from aluminum alloy and vehicle comprising part

Technical Field

The invention belongs to the field of aluminum alloy. In particular, the invention relates to an aluminum alloy, a part prepared by adopting the aluminum alloy and a vehicle comprising the part.

Background

Automobile manufacturing and use are important fields for achieving global energy saving and emission reduction targets. The electric automobile replaces the traditional fuel automobile and becomes one of the globally accepted energy-saving and emission-reducing solutions.

In order to improve the endurance mileage and safety performance of electric vehicles, mainstream electric vehicle manufacturers increasingly use aluminum alloys with the advantages of low density, high specific strength, good processing and forming performance, abundant resources and the like as structural member materials. The aluminum alloy die-casting part is high in production efficiency, excellent and stable in performance, can be designed and formed into a complex shape, reduces connecting and assembling required by traditional parts, and is often applied to joint parts of a vehicle body.

The manufacturing process for conventional die-cast aluminum alloy parts typically includes high pressure casting, trimming, heat treatment (solution + aging), shaping, surface treatment, and final delivery.

With the development of the industry, the trend of heat treatment free is already. The heat treatment (solid solution + aging) process not only consumes a large amount of energy and generates a large amount of carbon emission, but also causes the size deformation of parts due to heating and cooling, thereby affecting the assembly precision and increasing the rejection rate.

Currently, various aluminum alloy companies have developed alloy formulations of the heat-treatment-free type, such as Castasil-37 alloy of Al-Si series and Magsimal-59 alloy of Al-Mg series from Rhine Metal, EZ-cast 370 alloy of Al-Si series and A152 alloy of Al-Mg series from Al industries in the United states, and Al-Si series alloy from Tesla automobiles, and the like.

At present, the alloy systems used for structural diecastings are generally of the Al-Si or Al-Mg series, which have good castability. However, these alloys have low as-cast tensile strengths and yield strengths, for example, castings of Al-Si alloys have tensile strengths of 280MPa or less and yield strengths of 130MPa or less. Although Al-Mg alloys have high strength, such as yield strength higher than 140MPa, their casting process window is narrow and the requirements for melt management are high.

There remains a need in the art to develop aluminum alloys with higher tensile and yield strengths and comparable plasticity and toughness that avoid the T6/T7 heat treatment, such as aluminum alloys that are cast and have a tensile strength above 270MPa, a yield strength above 150MPa and an elongation above 5% after natural aging to stabilization.

In addition, to further reduce the carbon footprint of aluminum alloy die cast parts, a new trend in aluminum alloy development is to use recycled materials to prepare alloy ingots for die cast structural parts. Different from the condition that the conventional die-casting structural part alloy is sensitive to impurity elements, the alloy ingot manufactured by adopting the recycled material contains more impurity elements, wherein the alloy ingot has larger influence on Fe, zn, cu and the like. Therefore, how to absorb more impurity elements and ensure the mechanical property of the die-cast structural part becomes a new requirement for aluminum alloy development.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a high pressure cast aluminum alloy that eliminates heat treatment during the process of using it to manufacture parts and components, and the final parts meet the mechanical property requirements required for automotive structural castings.

The purpose of the invention can be realized by the following technical scheme.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aluminum alloy characterized by containing, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy: 3-6 wt% of silicon (Si), 6-18 wt% of zinc (Zn), 0-3 wt% of copper (Cu), 0-3 wt% of magnesium (Mg), 0-0.3 wt% of chromium (Cr), 0-0.6 wt% of manganese (Mn), 0-0.3 wt% of vanadium (V), at least 0.01 wt% of titanium (Ti), at least 100ppm of strontium (Sr), 0-1 wt% of iron (Fe), and the balance being aluminum and inevitable impurities, wherein when manganese (Mn) is absent, the content of chromium (Cr) is not less than 0.2 wt%; when chromium (Cr) is not present, the content of manganese (Mn) is not less than 0.3% by weight.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of the above-described aluminium alloy for the production of a component part.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a component characterized by being produced using the above aluminum alloy.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle characterized by comprising the above-described components.

The aluminum alloy can avoid a heat treatment process after casting in the preparation process of parts, is beneficial to energy conservation and emission reduction, and the parts prepared by the aluminum alloy can meet the mechanical property requirements required by automobile structure castings, such as tensile strength of more than 270MPa, yield strength of more than 150MPa and elongation of more than 5% after casting and natural aging to be stable. Moreover, the aluminum alloy of the invention can be prepared by adopting recycled materials, and the carbon footprint can be further reduced.

Detailed Description

Various aspects of the invention and still further objects, features and advantages will be more fully apparent hereinafter.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aluminum alloy characterized by containing, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy: 3-6 wt% of silicon (Si), 6-18 wt% of zinc (Zn), 0-3 wt% of copper (Cu), 0-3 wt% of magnesium (Mg), 0-0.3 wt% of chromium (Cr), 0-0.6 wt% of manganese (Mn), 0-0.3 wt% of vanadium (V), 0-1 wt% of iron (Fe), at least 0.01 wt% of titanium (Ti), at least 100ppm of strontium (Sr), and the balance of aluminum and inevitable impurities, wherein when manganese (Mn) is absent, the content of chromium (Cr) is not less than 0.2 wt%; when chromium (Cr) is not present, the content of manganese (Mn) is not less than 0.3% by weight.

Silicon (Si)

In the aluminum alloy of the invention, the content of silicon element is 3-6 wt% relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, which provides fluidity of the aluminum alloy in liquid state, ensures controllable shrinkage of the alloy in the solidification process, and reduces the hot cracking tendency of the casting.

Silicon in an amount of 3-6 wt% based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy ensures not only the tensile strength of the alloy, but also the alpha aluminum phase in the casting in an amount of more than 70% by volume fraction, and ensures the plasticity and toughness of the casting.

In some embodiments, the silicon is present in an amount of 3.0 to 5.5 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the silicon is present in an amount of 3.3 to 5.0 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the content of silicon is 3.4 wt.%, 3.7 wt.%, 4.0 wt.%, 4.3 wt.%, 4.6 wt.%, or 4.8 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Zinc (Zn)

In the aluminum alloy of the present invention, the zinc element content is 6 to 18% by weight with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

The presence of zinc in the range of 6-18 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, increases the yield strength of the casting and provides a degree of natural age hardening effect, further increasing the tensile strength and yield strength of the casting.

In some embodiments, the zinc is present in an amount of 6.0 to 15.0 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the zinc is present in an amount of 6.0 to 12.0 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the zinc is present in an amount of 6.15 wt.%, 6.35 wt.%, 6.55 wt.%, 6.75 wt.%, 6.95 wt.%, 7.15 wt.%, 7.35 wt.%, 7.55 wt.%, 7.75 wt.%, 7.95 wt.%, 8.15 wt.%, 8.35 wt.%, 8.55 wt.%, 8.75 wt.%, 8.95 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy,

9.35 wt%, 9.65 wt%, 10.00 wt%, 10.50 wt%, 11.00 wt%, or 11.50 wt%.

Copper (Cu)

In the aluminium alloy of the invention, copper may optionally be present, the content of copper being 0-3% by weight relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy.

When present, copper can provide a precipitation strengthening effect by forming an Al-Cu intermetallic phase and limit growth of the aluminum matrix phase.

In some embodiments, the copper is present in an amount of 0.30 to 2.50 weight percent, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the copper is present in an amount of 0.45 to 2.15 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the copper is present in an amount of 0.60, 0.90, 1.20, 1.50, or 1.80 weight percent, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Magnesium (Mg)

In the aluminium alloy of the invention, magnesium may optionally be present, the content of magnesium element being 0-3% by weight relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy.

When present, magnesium provides a strengthening effect by forming Mg-Si and (Al) -Mg-Zn intermetallic phases.

In some embodiments, the magnesium is present in an amount of 0.30 to 2.50 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the magnesium is present in an amount of 0.45 to 2.00 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the magnesium is present in an amount of 0.47, 0.49, 0.60, 0.80, 1.00, or 1.50 weight percent, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Chromium (Cr)

In the aluminium alloy of the invention, chromium may optionally be present in an amount of 0-0.3 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy.

When present, chromium may further increase the demoldability and strength of the casting.

In some embodiments, the chromium is present in an amount of 0.05 to 0.25 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the chromium is present in an amount of 0.08 to 0.20 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the chromium is present in an amount of 0.10, 0.13, 0.15, 0.17, or 0.19 weight percent, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Manganese (Mn)

In the aluminium alloy of the invention, manganese may optionally be present, the manganese element being present in an amount of 0-0.6 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy.

When present, manganese can further increase the demoldability and strength of the casting.

In some embodiments, the manganese is present in an amount of 0.10 to 0.55 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the manganese is present in an amount of 0.25 to 0.50 weight percent, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the manganese is present in an amount of 0.30 wt.%, 0.35 wt.%, 0.40 wt.%, or 0.45 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

When manganese (Mn) is not present, the content of chromium (Cr) is not less than 0.2 wt%; when chromium (Cr) is not present, the content of manganese (Mn) is not less than 0.3% by weight.

Vanadium (V)

In the aluminium alloy of the invention, vanadium may optionally be present, the content of vanadium element being 0-0.3% by weight relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy.

When the vanadium exists, the vanadium element can form an Al-V intermetallic compound, so that the effects of grain refinement and dispersion strengthening are provided, and the corrosion resistance of the alloy casting can be improved.

In some embodiments, the vanadium content is 0.01 to 0.25 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the vanadium is present in an amount of 0.05 to 0.20 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the vanadium is present in an amount of 0.08 wt.%, 0.10 wt.%, 0.15 wt.%, or 0.18 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Titanium (Ti)

In the aluminium alloy of the invention, the titanium element content is at least 0.01 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy.

Titanium is present in an amount of at least 0.01 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, for refining the grain size of the alpha phase.

In some embodiments, the titanium is present in an amount of 0.01 to 0.1 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the titanium is present in an amount of 0.02 to 0.08 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the titanium is present in an amount of 0.02 wt.%, 0.04 wt.%, 0.05 wt.%, or 0.06 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Strontium (Sr)

In the aluminium alloy of the invention, the strontium element content is at least 100ppm, relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy.

The presence of at least 100ppm of strontium, relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy, makes it possible to modify the eutectic silicon phase in the Al-Si solidification structure, ensuring the mechanical properties.

In some embodiments, the strontium is present in an amount of 110 to 300ppm, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the strontium is present in an amount of 110 to 250ppm, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the amount of strontium is 180ppm, 200ppm, 220ppm, or 230ppm, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Iron (Fe)

In the aluminium alloy of the invention, iron may optionally be present, the iron element content being 0-1 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminium alloy.

The inventors have found that the aluminium alloy of the present invention maintains excellent mechanical properties even at iron contents of up to about 1 wt.%. Therefore, the preparation process of the aluminum alloy has no particularly strict requirement on the iron content in the raw materials, the raw materials are more widely selected, and some wastes in the field can also be used as the raw materials of the aluminum alloy.

The aluminum alloy of the invention adopts the Si element with lower content to match with the Zn element with higher content so as to obviously improve the strength of the material in an as-cast state and ensure good casting performance.

According to the aluminum alloy disclosed by the invention, a small amount of Cu and Mg are added to generate an intermetallic phase, so that the tensile strength and the yield strength of a casting are improved.

The aluminum alloy of the invention adopts vanadium element with 0.3 weight percent as the strength improving factor, and simultaneously, the vanadium can also deteriorate the intermetallic phase containing iron, thereby ensuring the mechanical property.

The main component system of the aluminum alloy does not contain expensive alloy elements, and has better economy.

The aluminum alloy can absorb iron element up to 1 weight percent and higher elements such as magnesium, copper, zinc and the like under the condition of ensuring the performance, and is beneficial to recycling aluminum waste.

The aluminum alloy has simple components and better economical efficiency and castability.

Due to the compositional characteristics of the aluminum alloys of this invention, the castings undergo natural aging during post-processing or storage at room temperature after casting, resulting in further increases in their strength with some concomitant loss of ductility and toughness, with the natural aging stabilizing period typically ranging from 7 to 10 days.

After the aluminum alloy is cast and is fully stabilized after 7-10 days of natural aging, the tensile strength can exceed 270MPa, the yield strength can exceed 150MPa, and the elongation can exceed 5 percent. For example, depending on whether the alloy is produced from a pure aluminum ingot or a recycled aluminum material, the aluminum alloy of the present invention can be produced in two ways:

mode 1: preparation from pure aluminium ingots

1) Preparing materials: the alloying elements are prepared according to the proportion of the alloying components, the alloying elements are added in the form of pure alloy or master alloy, for example, the elements Si and Zn are added in the form of simple substances, the element Cu is added in the form of Al-Cu master alloy, the element Mg (if present) is added in the form of Al-Mg master alloy, the element Cr (if present) is added in the form of Al-Cr master alloy, the element Mn (if present) is added in the form of Al-Mn master alloy, the element Ti is added in the form of Al-Ti master alloy, the element V (if present) is added in the form of Al-V master alloy, the element Sr is added in the form of Al-Sr master alloy, and the element Fe (if present) is added in the form of Al-Fe master alloy.

2) Melting an aluminum ingot: after the surface of the pure aluminum ingot is cleaned, putting the pure aluminum ingot and silicon into a resistance crucible for heating and smelting, and controlling the temperature of aluminum liquid to be 720-740 ℃;

3) Adding intermediate alloy and pure zinc: when the temperature of the aluminum liquid reaches 730-735 ℃, adding the dried Al-Cu intermediate alloy, al-Mg intermediate alloy, al-Cr intermediate alloy, al-Mn intermediate alloy, al-V intermediate alloy, al-Ti and other intermediate alloys except the Al-Sr intermediate alloy into the aluminum liquid, heating the aluminum liquid to 740-760 ℃, and preserving the heat for 10-30 minutes to ensure that the added intermediate alloy is completely melted; after the intermediate alloy is completely melted, adding pure zinc ingots, and preserving heat for 10 minutes to ensure that zinc is completely melted;

4) Refining, modification and degassing: firstly pressing Al-Sr intermediate alloy into the aluminum liquid, then degassing the aluminum liquid to remove hydrogen in the aluminum liquid, and controlling the parameters as follows: the rotation speed of the degasser is 150-300 r/min, the introduced gas is high-purity argon or nitrogen, the purity is more than 99.99 percent, and the gas flow is 0.3-0.8L/min;

5) Detecting components and cooling: after refining and degassing, removing scum on the surface of the aluminum liquid, standing for 15-25min, and then taking a spectrum sample block to detect components, and reducing the temperature of the aluminum liquid after the components meet requirements.

Mode 2: prepared by adopting reclaimed materials

1) Preparing materials: according to the proportion of alloy components, waste materials recycled on the market are blended according to the component requirements, the balance of alloy elements are added in the form of pure alloy or intermediate alloy, for example, si and Zn elements are added in the form of simple substances, cu element (if existing) is added in the form of Al-Cu intermediate alloy, mg element (if existing) is added in the form of Al-Mg intermediate alloy, cr element (if existing) is added in the form of Al-Cr intermediate alloy, mn element (if existing) is added in the form of Al-Mn intermediate alloy, ti element is added in the form of Al-Ti intermediate alloy, V element (if existing) is added in the form of Al-V intermediate alloy, sr element is added in the form of Al-Sr intermediate alloy, and Fe element (if existing) is added in the form of Al-Fe intermediate alloy.

2) Melting an aluminum ingot: cleaning the surface of the waste raw material, putting the raw material into a resistance crucible for heating and smelting, and controlling the temperature of aluminum liquid to be 720-740 ℃;

3) Adding intermediate alloy and pure zinc: when the temperature of the aluminum liquid reaches 730-735 ℃, firstly baking the single-mass silicon, then putting the baked single-mass silicon into a smelting furnace, after the silicon is melted, adding the dried Al-Cu intermediate alloy, al-Mg intermediate alloy, al-Cr intermediate alloy, al-Mn intermediate alloy, al-V intermediate alloy, al-Ti and other intermediate alloys except the Al-Sr intermediate alloy into the aluminum liquid, heating the aluminum liquid to 740-760 ℃, and preserving the heat for 10-30 minutes to ensure that the added intermediate alloy is completely melted; after the intermediate alloy is completely melted, adding a pure zinc ingot, and preserving heat for 10 minutes to ensure that the zinc is completely melted;

5) Detecting components and cooling: and after refining and degassing, removing scum on the surface of the aluminum liquid, standing for 15-25min, taking a spectrum sample block to detect components, and reducing the temperature of the aluminum liquid after the components meet requirements.

The aluminum alloys of the present invention may be cast by methods conventional in the art, such as by high pressure casting.

Specifically, the aluminum alloys of the present invention can be cast according to the following high pressure process:

the temperature of the die casting aluminum liquid is controlled between 680 and 700 ℃, the temperature of a die temperature machine is set between 150 and 170 ℃, the high speed is set between 1.65 and 1.85m/s, the pressurizing pressure is 65MPa, and in the case of processing into specific parts, trimming, dimension inspection and optional proper shaping are carried out after casting.

The aluminum alloy of the invention has good mechanical properties in a casting state. The aluminum alloy formula has the advantage that the mechanical property required by design can be achieved by eliminating a heat treatment process after casting, so that energy conservation and emission reduction can be realized.

Meanwhile, the alloy formula of the invention can absorb iron (Fe) element up to 1.0 weight percent, so that the smelting of the alloy components by adopting the recycled waste materials becomes possible, and the contribution to energy conservation and emission reduction is made again.

The aluminum alloy has excellent strength and elongation rate, so that the light weight and safety of the prepared parts are ensured.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of the above-described aluminium alloy for the production of parts.

The aluminum alloy can be used for preparing parts, and the prepared parts can meet certain mechanical requirements.

For example, the aluminum alloy of the present invention can be used for the production of parts for bearing loads, such as automobile bodies and chassis.

The parts prepared from the aluminum alloy have excellent mechanical properties, and can be used as parts for bearing loads, such as automobile bodies, chassis and the like.

Thus, the component is selected from the group consisting of automotive bodies, chassis and other load-bearing parts.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle characterized by including the above-described component parts.

The application at least provides the following technical scheme:

technical solution 1, an aluminum alloy, characterized by comprising, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy: 3-6 wt% of silicon (Si), 6-18 wt% of zinc (Zn), 0-3 wt% of copper (Cu), 0-3 wt% of magnesium (Mg), 0-0.3 wt% of chromium (Cr), 0-0.6 wt% of manganese (Mn), 0-0.3 wt% of vanadium (V), at least 0.01 wt% of titanium (Ti), at least 100ppm of strontium (Sr), 0-1 wt% of iron (Fe), and the balance being aluminum and inevitable impurities, wherein when manganese (Mn) is absent, the content of chromium (Cr) is not less than 0.2 wt%; when chromium (Cr) is not present, the content of manganese (Mn) is not less than 0.3% by weight.

The aluminum alloy according to claim 2 or 1, wherein the silicon content is 3.0 to 5.5 wt%, or 3.3 to 5.0 wt% based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 3.4 wt%, 3.7 wt%, 4.0 wt%, 4.3 wt%, 4.6 wt%, or 4.8 wt% based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Technical solution 3, the aluminum alloy according to technical solution 1 or 2, wherein the content of zinc is 6.0 to 15.0 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or the content of zinc is 6.0 to 12.0 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or the content of zinc is 6.15 wt%, 6.35 wt%, 6.55 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy,

6.75 wt%, 6.95 wt%, 7.15 wt%, 7.35 wt%, 7.55 wt%,

7.75 wt%, 7.95 wt%, 8.15 wt%, 8.35 wt%, 8.55 wt%,

8.75 wt%, 8.95 wt%, 9.35 wt%, 9.65 wt%, 10.00 wt%,

10.50 wt%, 11.00 wt%, or 11.50 wt%.

Solution 4 the aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content of copper is 0.30 to 2.50 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.45 to 2.15 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.60 wt%, 0.90 wt%, 1.20 wt%, 1.50 wt%, or 1.80 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Solution 5 the aluminum alloy according to any one of solution 1 to solution 4, wherein the magnesium is contained in an amount of 0.30 to 2.50 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or in an amount of 0.45 to 2.00 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or in an amount of 0.47 wt%, 0.49 wt%, 0.60 wt%, 0.80 wt%, 1.00 wt%, or 1.50 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Technical solution 6 the aluminum alloy according to any one of technical solutions 1 to 5, wherein the content of chromium is 0.05 to 0.25 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.08 to 0.20 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.10 wt%, 0.13 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.17 wt%, or 0.19 wt% with respect to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Claim 7 the aluminum alloy of any of claims 1-6, wherein the manganese is present in an amount of 0.10 to 0.55 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.25 to 0.50 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, or 0.45 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Technical solution 8 the aluminum alloy according to any one of technical solutions 1 to 7, wherein when manganese (Mn) is absent, a content of chromium (Cr) is not less than 0.2 wt%; when chromium (Cr) is not present, the content of manganese (Mn) is not less than 0.3% by weight.

Solution 9 the aluminum alloy of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the vanadium is present in an amount of 0.01 to 0.25 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.05 to 0.20 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.08, 0.10, 0.15, or 0.18 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Technical solution 10 the aluminum alloy according to any one of technical solutions 1 to 9, wherein a content of titanium is 0.01 to 0.1 wt% with respect to a total weight of the aluminum alloy, or a content of titanium is 0.02 to 0.08 wt% with respect to a total weight of the aluminum alloy, or a content of titanium is 0.02 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.05 wt%, or 0.06 wt% with respect to a total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Solution 11 the aluminum alloy according to any one of solution 1 to solution 10, wherein the amount of strontium is 110 to 300ppm based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or is 110 to 250ppm based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or is 180ppm, 200ppm, 220ppm, or 230ppm based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

Claim 12, use of the aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 11 for producing a part.

The use according to claim 13 or 12, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of an automobile body, a chassis, and other load-bearing parts.

Claim 14, a component, characterized in that it is produced using the aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

The component according to claim 15 or 14, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of an automobile body, a chassis, and other load-bearing parts.

The invention according to claim 16 provides a vehicle including the component according to claim 14 or 15.

The description of the individual features in this application can be combined with one another without being contradictory to one another and all fall within the scope of protection claimed here.

The terms "comprising" and "including" as used herein encompass the case where other elements not explicitly mentioned are also included or included and the case where they consist of the mentioned elements.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. In the event that a definition of a term in this specification conflicts with a meaning commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, the definition set forth herein shall govern.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, temperatures, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified by the term "about". Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth herein are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties to be obtained.

Examples

The conception, the specific structure, and the technical effects produced by the present invention will be further described with reference to the following embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the objects, features, and effects of the present invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein are for illustrative purposes only and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. The raw materials used in the examples are those commonly used in the art, if not explicitly stated.

Inventive example 1

The present embodiment provides an aluminum alloy including, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy: 5.0 wt% of silicon (Si), 12.0 wt% of zinc (Zn), 1.85 wt% of copper (Cu), 0.20 wt% of vanadium (V), 0.60 wt% of manganese (Mn), 0.47 wt% of iron (Fe), 0.011 wt% of strontium (Sr), and the balance of aluminum and inevitable impurities.

The preparation process of the aluminum alloy is as follows:

1) Preparing materials: preparing materials according to the proportion of alloy components, adding alloy elements in the form of pure alloy or master alloy, for example, adding Si and Zn elements in the form of simple substances, adding Cu elements in the form of Al-Cu master alloy, adding Mn elements in the form of Al-Mn master alloy, adding Ti elements in the form of Al-Ti master alloy, adding V elements in the form of Al-V master alloy, adding Sr elements in the form of Al-Sr master alloy, and adding Fe elements in the form of Al-Fe master alloy.

2) Melting an aluminum ingot: after the surface of the pure aluminum ingot is cleaned, putting the pure aluminum ingot and silicon into a resistance crucible for heating and smelting, and controlling the temperature of aluminum liquid to be between 720 and 740 ℃;

3) Adding intermediate alloy and pure zinc: when the temperature of the aluminum liquid reaches 730-735 ℃, adding the dried Al-Cu intermediate alloy, al-Mn intermediate alloy, al-V intermediate alloy, al-Ti and other intermediate alloys except the Al-Sr intermediate alloy into the aluminum liquid, heating the aluminum liquid to 740-760 ℃, and preserving the heat for 10-30 minutes to ensure that the added intermediate alloy is completely melted; after the intermediate alloy is completely melted, adding pure zinc ingots, and preserving heat for 10 minutes to ensure that zinc is completely melted;

5) Component detection and temperature reduction: after refining and degassing, removing scum on the surface of the aluminum liquid, standing for 15-25min, taking a spectrum sample block to detect components, and transferring the aluminum liquid to an edge furnace to perform high-pressure casting according to the following conditions after the components meet the requirements:

the temperature of the mold temperature controller is controlled at 150-170 ℃, the high speed is set at 1.65-1.85m/s, and the pressurizing pressure is 65MPa.

Mechanical property tests were performed according to GB/T228.1 on aluminium alloy high pressure cast samples produced after being fully stabilised over a 7-10 day natural ageing period and the results are shown in Table 2.

Inventive examples 2 to 7 and comparative examples 1 to 7

A series of aluminum alloys and high pressure cast samples were prepared by substantially the same procedure as in inventive example 1, with specific compositions and contents as shown in table 1 (balance aluminum and unavoidable impurities, not shown).

When present, the Mg element is added as an Al-Mg master alloy, the Cr element is added as an Al-Cr master alloy, and the Zr element is added as an Al-Zr master alloy.

Mechanical property tests were performed on the prepared aluminum alloy high pressure cast samples after being sufficiently stabilized by natural aging for 7-10 days, and the results are shown in table 2.

TABLE 1

TABLE 2

As can be seen from Table 1, the tensile strength, yield strength and elongation of the aluminum alloys of the present invention (inventive examples 1-7) can exceed 270MPa, 150MPa and 5% after casting and natural aging to a steady state.

It can also be seen from Table 1 that the aluminum alloys in comparative examples 1-7 did not meet the design requirements in terms of elongation (tensile strength exceeding 270MPa, yield strength exceeding 150MPa, and elongation exceeding 5%) after casting and natural aging to steady state.

The foregoing describes only exemplary embodiments or examples of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. The present invention may be modified and varied by those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention are included in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An aluminum alloy characterized by comprising, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy: 3-6 wt% of silicon (Si), 6-18 wt% of zinc (Zn), 0-3 wt% of copper (Cu), 0-3 wt% of magnesium (Mg), 0-0.3 wt% of chromium (Cr), 0-0.6 wt% of manganese (Mn), 0-0.3 wt% of vanadium (V), at least 0.01 wt% of titanium (Ti), at least 100ppm of strontium (Sr), 0-1 wt% of iron (Fe), and the balance being aluminum and inevitable impurities, wherein when manganese (Mn) is absent, the content of chromium (Cr) is not less than 0.2 wt%; when chromium (Cr) is not present, the content of manganese (Mn) is not less than 0.3% by weight.

2. The aluminum alloy of claim 1, wherein the silicon is present in an amount of 3.0 to 5.5 wt.%, or 3.3 to 5.0 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 3.4, 3.7, 4.0, 4.3, 4.6, or 4.8 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

3. The aluminum alloy of claim 1 or 2, wherein the zinc is present in an amount of 6.0-15.0 wt.% relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 6.0-12.0 wt.% relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 6.15, 6.35, 6.55, 6.75, 6.95, 7.15, 7.35, 7.55, 7.75, 7.95, 8.15, 8.35, 8.55, 8.75, 8.95, 9.35, 9.65, 10.00, 10.50, 11.00, or 11.50 wt.% relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

4. The aluminum alloy of any of claims 1-3, wherein the copper is present in an amount of 0.30 to 2.50 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.45 to 2.15 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.60, 0.90, 1.20, 1.50, or 1.80 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

5. The aluminum alloy of any of claims 1-4, wherein the magnesium is present in an amount of 0.30 to 2.50 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.45 to 2.00 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.47, 0.49, 0.60, 0.80, 1.00, or 1.50 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

6. The aluminum alloy of any of claims 1-5, wherein the chromium is present in an amount of 0.05-0.25 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.08-0.20 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.10, 0.13, 0.15, 0.17, or 0.19 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

7. The aluminum alloy of any of claims 1-6, wherein the manganese is present in an amount of 0.10 to 0.55 wt.% relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.25 to 0.50 wt.% relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, or 0.45 wt.% relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

8. The aluminum alloy of any of claims 1-7, wherein when manganese (Mn) is absent, chromium (Cr) is present in an amount of not less than 0.2 wt.%; when chromium (Cr) is not present, the content of manganese (Mn) is not less than 0.3% by weight.

9. The aluminum alloy of any of claims 1-8, wherein vanadium is present in an amount of 0.01 to 0.25 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or in an amount of 0.05 to 0.20 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or in an amount of 0.08, 0.10, 0.15, or 0.18 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.

10. The aluminum alloy of any of claims 1-9, wherein titanium is present in an amount of 0.01 to 0.1 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.02 to 0.08 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy, or 0.02 wt.%, 0.04 wt.%, 0.05 wt.%, or 0.06 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the aluminum alloy.