WO2023002441A1 - Armour component produced from a 7xxx-series aluminium alloy - Google Patents
Armour component produced from a 7xxx-series aluminium alloy Download PDFInfo
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- WO2023002441A1 WO2023002441A1 PCT/IB2022/056771 IB2022056771W WO2023002441A1 WO 2023002441 A1 WO2023002441 A1 WO 2023002441A1 IB 2022056771 W IB2022056771 W IB 2022056771W WO 2023002441 A1 WO2023002441 A1 WO 2023002441A1
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- 238000011282 treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 43
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 37
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 claims description 37
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 27
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 22
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 claims description 22
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 22
- 238000005266 casting Methods 0.000 claims description 17
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 16
- 239000012535 impurity Substances 0.000 claims description 15
- 238000010791 quenching Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 230000000171 quenching effect Effects 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052719 titanium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052748 manganese Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910052726 zirconium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910052804 chromium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910052735 hafnium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910052706 scandium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910052720 vanadium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 abstract description 7
- 239000011777 magnesium Substances 0.000 description 25
- 239000011701 zinc Substances 0.000 description 25
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 23
- 239000010936 titanium Substances 0.000 description 17
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 15
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 15
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N iron Substances [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 12
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 11
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 11
- 238000000265 homogenisation Methods 0.000 description 10
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- 238000005098 hot rolling Methods 0.000 description 8
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- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000004429 Calibre Substances 0.000 description 3
- RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Titanium Chemical compound [Ti] RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 238000005336 cracking Methods 0.000 description 3
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- 229910000851 Alloy steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- ZOXJGFHDIHLPTG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Boron Chemical compound [B] ZOXJGFHDIHLPTG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- HCHKCACWOHOZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Zinc Chemical compound [Zn] HCHKCACWOHOZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
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- JBQYATWDVHIOAR-UHFFFAOYSA-N tellanylidenegermanium Chemical compound [Te]=[Ge] JBQYATWDVHIOAR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22C—ALLOYS
- C22C21/00—Alloys based on aluminium
- C22C21/10—Alloys based on aluminium with zinc as the next major constituent
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
- C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
- C22F1/002—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working by rapid cooling or quenching; cooling agents used therefor
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
- C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
- C22F1/04—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon
- C22F1/053—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon of alloys with zinc as the next major constituent
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F41—WEAPONS
- F41H—ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
- F41H5/00—Armour; Armour plates
Definitions
- armour components for civil or military vehicles made of high- strength 7XXX-series aluminium alloys requiring ballistic protection. More particularly, described herein are armour components used for manufacturing armour hulls and add-on appliques, which are removable panels to be mounted on the external faces of the military vehicles.
- an armour shield includes a metal panel, typically of steel, aluminium, titanium or alloys thereof.
- Such panels have an excellent ability to absorb kinetic energy of a penetrator during impact.
- Such panels are heavy and have a low effectiveness in terms of absorption of energy related to the weight carried by a vehicle.
- aluminium alloys Because of their light weight, aluminium alloys have found wide use in military applications, including military vehicles such as personnel carriers. The light weight of aluminium allows for improved performance and ease of transporting equipment, including air transport of military vehicles. In some vehicles it is advisable to provide shielding or protection against assault, by providing armour plate to protect the occupants of the vehicle. Aluminium has enjoyed substantial use as armour plate, and there are a number of armour plate specifications for the use of different aluminium alloys.
- aluminium alloy armour plate The most relevant requirements for aluminium alloy armour plate are resistance to projectiles, good corrosion resistance and stress corrosion resistance in particular, and in some applications, good weldability.
- Ballistic tests are often conducted with armour piercing (“AP”) projectiles such as the 7.62 mm AP M2 and with fragment simulating projectiles (“PSp”) suc h as the common 20 mm projectile.
- the first test is intended to characterize the resistance to perforation and the second test is intended to quantify to withstand the impacts which generate fragmented debris.
- the armour panels are the target of projectiles of different shapes and sizes (spindle shape for the AP test, a more squat form for the FSP test).
- V50 ballistic limit having a speed dimension.
- V50 is defined for example in MIL-STD-662 (1997) standard: it is the velocity at which the probability of penetration of an armour material is 50%. It is established by calculating the average of speeds attained by the projectiles on impact resulting from taking the same number of results having the highest speeds corresponding to a partial penetration and results having the lowest speeds corresponding to a complete penetration. A complete penetration occurs when the impacting projectile or any fragment (of the projectile or of the test specimen) perforates a thin witness plate located behind the test specimen.
- Aluminium alloys which satisfy all the requirements for armour plate are desirable, and these desires have been met to varying degrees.
- aluminium alloys AA5083, AA5456 and AA5059 are covered in the U.S. Military Specification for armour plate MIL- DTL-46027K (July 2007), and the alloy AA7039 is covered in the U.S. Military Specification MIL-DTL-46063H (September 1998).
- the alloy AA7039 armour plate is better than AA5083 and AA5456 armour plate, although the advantage is more for armour piercing ballistic performance and less so for fragment simulation performance, at least according to the military specifications.
- the alloy AA7039 can present corrosion or stress corrosion problems to a much greater degree than AA5083 and AA5456.
- the AA7039 alloy when used for armour plate applications is commonly in a T6 temper and the AA5083 and AA5456 alloys when used for armour plate applications is used in the HI 31 temper.
- Patent document US-8,206,517-B1 discloses an armour component in the form of a plate having a thickness of 1-4 inches (25.4-101.6 mm) made of a 7xxx-series aluminium alloy, which contains essentially (in wt.%): 7.0-9.5% Zn, 1.3-1.68% Mg, 1.2-1.9% Cu, up to 0.4% of at least one grain structure element, the rest being aluminium and incidental elements and impurities.
- Said 7XXX-series aluminium alloy is over-aged via a three-step ageing process such that it should comply simultaneously with three conditions relating to yield strength of not greater than 68 ksi (455.6 MPa), FSP performance and spall resistance.
- Patent document US-8, 747, 580-B1 discloses a method of manufacturing a ballistic resistant aluminium alloy, comprising forging an aluminium alloy into an armour component having a thickness of 1-4 inches (25.4-101.6 mm) wherein the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy, which contains essentially (in wt.%) 7.0-9.5% Zn, 1.3-1.68% Mg, 1.2-1.9% Cu, up to 0.4% of at least one grain structure element, the rest being aluminium and incidental elements and impurities, solution heat treating the forged armour component followed and quenching and artificial over-ageing such that it should comply simultaneously with a longitudinal yield strength of not greater than 70 ksi (469 MPa) and a defined spall resistance.
- the chemistry of the 7XXX-series alloy in US Patent No. 8,747,580 largely overlaps with that of alloy AA7085.
- Patent document US-8, 758, 530-B1 discloses a method of manufacturing an armour component made from 2XXX- or 7XXX-series aluminium alloys and wherein the aluminium alloy product is being underaged to produce a certain ballistic performance which is said to be better than that of a peak strength aged version of the aluminium alloy products. It is reported that in particular the FSP resistance is improved by the under-ageing treatment.
- AP resistance and FSP resistance are antagonist properties: when an armour material has a high FSP resistance, it has a reduced AP resistance. Under-ageing of 7XXX-series aluminium alloy leads to a reduced corrosion resistance compared to over-ageing.
- Patent document US-10, 308, 998-B2 discloses an armour component produced from a 7XXX-series aluminium alloy, wherein the aluminium alloy consists essentially of (in wt.%): 8.4-10.5% Zn, 1.3-2% Mg, 1.2-2% Cu, at least 0.05-0.3% of a dispersoid forming element from the group consisting of (Zr, Sc, V, Hf, Ti, Cr, and Mn), the remainder substantially aluminium, incidental elements and impurities, wherein the 7XXX alloy is in the form of a plate having a thickness of 0.5 to 3 inches (12.7-76.2 mm), and wherein the 7XXX alloy is aged to achieve a defined lower-limit for both the AP and FSP resistance.
- the aluminium alloy consists essentially of (in wt.%): 8.4-10.5% Zn, 1.3-2% Mg, 1.2-2% Cu, at least 0.05-0.3% of a dispersoid forming element from the group consist
- the combination of the cold working operation i.e., a combination of cold rolling and stretching, and using Zr as the dispersoid forming element in a range of 0.04-0.10%, preferably 0.05-0.08%, provides in particular an improved spall resistance.
- the chemistry of the 7XXX-series alloy in WO- 2017/044471-Al largely overlaps with that of alloy AA7056.
- an armour component produced from a 7XXX-series aluminium alloy, wherein the aluminium alloy comprises:
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy is in the form of a plate having a thickness of 12.7 mm to 76.2 mm; wherein the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy is over-aged to achieve a combination of:
- the Zn content is in a range of 7.20% to 7.5% or 7.30% to 7.5%. In some cases, the Zn/Mg ratio is less than 4 (e.g., less than 3.9).
- the dispersoid forming element comprises Zr in a range of 0.06% to 0.15% (e.g., 0.08% to 0.14% or 0.09% to 0.13%). In some cases, the Mg content is in a range of 1.9% to 2.25% (e.g., 1.95% to 2.20%).
- the over-ageing treatment comprises the following 2-step treatment: 4- 12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 4-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the over ageing treatment comprises the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the over-ageing treatment comprises the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-18 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy can optionally be manufactured with the following steps: a. casting said alloy into an ingot form; b. homogenizing said ingot; c. hot working said ingot to obtain a plate; d. solution heat treating; e. quenching; f. stretching to obtain a permanent elongation from 1% to 3%; and g. over-ageing at least in two steps, the over-ageing treatment corresponding to the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the 7XXX-series alloy comprises or consists of, in wt.%:
- the Si content or the Fe content can optionally be up to 0.10 wt. %. In some cases, the elongation in LT-direction is > 9 %.
- an armour component as described herein, comprising: a. casting said alloy into an ingot form; b. homogenizing said ingot; c. hot working said ingot to obtain a plate; d. solution heat treating; e. quenching; f. stretching to obtain a permanent elongation from 1% to 3%; and g. over-ageing at least in two steps, the over-ageing heat treatment corresponding to the following two-step heat treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the over-ageing treatment corresponds to the following 2-step treatment: 4- 12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the over ageing treatment corresponds to the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-18 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- an armour component produced from a 7XXX-series aluminium alloy, wherein the aluminium alloy consists essentially of:
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy is in the form of a plate having a thickness of 12.7 mm to 76.2 mm; wherein the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy is over-aged to achieve a combination of:
- the Zn content is in a range of 7.20% to 7.5% or 7.30% to 7.5%. In some cases, the Zn/Mg ratio is less than 4 (e.g., less than 3.9).
- the dispersoid forming element is essentially Zr in a range of 0.06% to 0.15% (e.g., 0.08% to 0.14% or 0.09% to 0.13%). In some cases, the Mg content is in a range of 1.9% to 2.25% (e.g., 1.95% to 2.20%).
- the over-ageing treatment corresponds to the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 4-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the over-ageing treatment corresponds to the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the over-ageing treatment corresponds to the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-18 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy can optionally be manufactured with the following steps: a. casting said alloy into an ingot form; b. homogenizing said ingot; c. hot working said ingot to obtain a plate; d. solution heat treating; e. quenching; f. stretching to obtain a permanent elongation from 1% to 3%; and g. over-ageing at least in two steps, the over-ageing treatment corresponding to the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the 7XXX-series alloy consists of, in wt.%:
- Mg 1.90% to 2.25%, preferably 1.95% to 2.25%
- the Si content or the Fe content can optionally be up to 0.10 wt. %. In some cases, the elongation in LT-direction is > 9 %.
- an armour component as described herein, comprising: a. casting said alloy into an ingot form; b. homogenizing said ingot; c. hot working said ingot to obtain a plate; d. solution heat treating; e. quenching; f. stretching to obtain a permanent elongation from 1% to 3%; and g. over-ageing at least in two steps, the over-ageing heat treatment corresponding to the following two-step heat treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the over-ageing treatment corresponds to the following 2-step treatment: 4- 12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-20 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- the over ageing treatment corresponds to the following 2-step treatment: 4-12 hours at 110°C-130°C followed by 12-18 hours at 140°C-160°C.
- aluminium alloy designations and temper designations refer to the Aluminium Association designations in Aluminium Standards and Data and the Registration Records, as published by the Aluminium Association in 2019, and frequently updated, and are well known to the person skilled in the art.
- the temper designations are laid down in European standard EN515.
- static mechanical characteristics in other words the ultimate tensile strength UTS, the tensile yield stress TYS and the elongation at fracture A, are determined by a tensile test according to standard ASTM B557.
- up to 0.03% Mn may include an aluminium alloy having no Mn.
- an armour component product from a 7XXX-series aluminium alloy in the form of a plate and having been over-aged to achieve a combination of a high strength, high elongation at fraction and good AP resistance.
- Also provided herein is a method for manufacturing an armour component product from a 7XXX-series aluminium alloy in the form of a plate and having been over-aged to achieve a combination of a high strength, high elongation at fraction and good AP resistance.
- an armour component produced from a 7XXX-series aluminium alloy wherein the aluminium alloy comprises or consists essentially of:
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy is in the form of a plate having a thickness of 12.7 mm to 76.2 mm (0.5 to 3 inches); and the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy is over-aged to achieve a combination of target properties:
- the alloys as described herein have a higher tensile strength of at least 1 Ksi for each thickness range. Compared to AA7056, the alloys as described herein generally have an elongation of at least a minimum 2-3% or higher. Compared to 7081 and 7056, the alloys as described herein have a lower density, which is beneficial for lightweighting, as further described herein.
- Another advantage is also the improved Mass Efficiency compared to AA7056-T711 counterparts. Due to amongst others a significantly lower Zn content, the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy product described herein has a lower specific density measured at 20 ° C compared to AA7056 alloys resulting in a favourable strength-to-weight ratio or specific strength (tensile strength divided by specific density).
- the Mass Efficiency is a measure for the AP performance and relates also to the specific density and allows for a fair comparison of various armour plate materials of similar gauge against each other.
- Mass Efficiency or “Em” is defined as the weight per unit area of a reference material, for example an AA7056- T761 counterpart alloy, required for defeating a given ballistic threat divided by the weight per unit area of the subject material.
- the improved mass efficiency of the armour plate component allows for the construction of a lighter vehicle while offering the same resistance against incoming projectiles. Weight saving in an armoured vehicle can translate amongst other advantages, into vehicle mobility. Alternatively, when constructing an armoured vehicle an unchanged plate thickness can be used while offering a significantly improved resistance against incoming projectiles and thereby an increased survivability.
- Zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), and copper (Cu) are the major alloying elements of the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy armour component. Zn combined with Mg and Cu within the defined compositional ranges provide simultaneously high static mechanical properties in combination with good AP ballistic test results.
- the Zn content should be in a range of 7.1% to 7.5%. In a preferred embodiment the Zn content is at least 7.20%, and more preferably at least 7.30%.
- the Mg content should be in a range of 1.90% to 2.25%. In a preferred embodiment the Mg content is at least 2.0%. In an embodiment the Mg content is not more than about 2.20%.
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy has a Zn/Mg ratio (in wt.%) of less than 4. In an embodiment the Zn/Mg ratio is less than 3.9, and preferably less than 3.8.
- Exfoliation corrosion tests according to ASTM G34 exhibit a rating of EB or EA regardless if the test is performed on the as-rolled surface or if the surface has been milled down to 90% of its thickness (s/10).
- a rating of EA indicates superficial corrosion, while a rating of EB indicates moderate corrosion.
- Hydrogen embrittlement is where brittle cracking of an aluminium alloy can occur when a susceptible aluminium alloy is subjected to a sustained stress in particular in the short transverse (ST) direction for longer periods of time in a humid atmosphere.
- This phenomenon also known as environmentally assisted cracking (“EAC”), can be a challenge for component manufacturers since under certain conditions the structural integrity can be affected. Sensitivity to this form of EAC has been observed especially in high Zn containing high strength aluminium alloys.
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy product has a Cu-content of maximum about 1.8%, and preferably of maximum about 1.75%, and more preferably of maximum about 1.70%.
- the minimum Cu-content is about 1.3%, and more preferably 1.35% to provide sufficient strength and elongation at fracture, AP resistance, good stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance in combination with a low sensitivity to EAC under conditions of high stress and humid environment.
- the aluminium alloy comprises at least about 0.05%-0.4% of a dispersoid forming element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sc, V, Hf, Ti, Cr, and Mn to control the grain structure during thermo-mechanical processing.
- a dispersoid forming element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sc, V, Hf, Ti, Cr, and Mn to control the grain structure during thermo-mechanical processing.
- Two or more dispersoid forming elements can be added but the sum should not exceed 0.4%.
- the dispersoid forming element is Zr.
- the Zr content is maximum about 0.15%, and more preferably about 0.14%.
- the Zr content is at least 0.06%, and more preferably about 0.08%.
- the iron (Fe) and silicon (Si) contents should be kept low, for example not exceeding about 0.15% Fe, and preferably less than about 0.10% Fe, and not exceeding about 0.15% Si and preferably about 0.10% Si or less.
- the balance is made by aluminium and unavoidable impurities, typically each up to 0.05% maximum and in total 0.15% maximum.
- the aluminium alloy includes or consists of: Zn 7.1% to 7.5%, Mg 1.90% to 2.25%, Cu 1.3% to 1.8%, Zr 0.06% to 0.15%, Ti 0.01% to 0.06%, Si up to 0.15%, Fe up to 0.15%, balance unavoidable impurities and aluminium, and with preferred narrower ranges as herein described and claimed.
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy of the armour component has been over-aged in at least two steps to achieve the combination of properties.
- the over-ageing heat treatment corresponds to the following 2-step treatment: about 4 to 12 hours at 110°C to 130°C followed by 1 to about 2 to 20 hours at 140°C to 160°C, and preferably about 12 to 18 hours at 140°C to 160°C.
- the armour component from the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy plate achieves an armour piercing V50 ballistic limits described by MIL-DTL-32375B Class 1 Type A.
- the armour component from the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy achieves a tensile yield strength in LT-direction > 497 MPa, and preferably > 504 MPa.
- the armour component from the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy achieves an ultimate tensile strength in LT-direction > 538 MPa, and preferably > 545 MPa.
- the armour component from the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy achieves an elongation in the LT-direction > 10 %.
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy plate of the armour component has a thickness in the range of about 12.7 mm to about 76.2 mm (about 0.5 to about 3 inches), and preferably of about 25.4 mm to about 76.2 mm (about 1 to about 3 inches).
- the 7XXX-series plate product forming part of the armour component is manufactured in the conventional method, the method comprising the steps, in that order, of: a. casting stock of a rolling ingot of the AA7XXX-series aluminium alloy according to the present disclosure; b. homogenizing the rolling ingot; c. hot working by means of rolling the ingot to obtain a plate; d. solution heat treating (“SHT”) of the plate; e. cooling the SHT plate, preferably by one of spray quenching or immersion quenching in water or other quenching media; f.
- SHT solution heat treating
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy can be provided as an ingot or slab or billet for fabrication into a suitable wrought product by casting techniques regular in the art for rolling ingots, e.g., Direct-Chill (DC)-casting, Electro-Magnetic-Casting (EMC)-casting, Electro- Magnetic-Stirring (EMS)-casting.
- DC Direct-Chill
- EMC Electro-Magnetic-Casting
- EMS Electro- Magnetic-Stirring
- Slabs resulting from continuous casting e.g., belt casters or roll casters, also may be used, which in particular may be advantageous when producing thinner gauge plate products.
- Grain refiners such as those containing titanium (Ti) and boron (B), or titanium and carbon (C), can be used.
- the Ti-content in the aluminium alloy is up to 0.15%, and preferably in a range of about 0.01% to 0.06%.
- a cast ingot can be stress relieved, for example by holding it at a temperature in a range of about 350°C to 450°C followed by slow cooling to ambient temperature. After casting the ingot can be scalped to remove segregation zones near the as-cast surface of the ingot and to improve product flatness.
- a homogenization heat treatment has at least the following objectives: (i) to dissolve as much as possible coarse soluble phases formed during solidification, and (ii) to reduce concentration gradients to facilitate the dissolution step.
- a preheat treatment achieves also some of these objectives.
- the soluble eutectic phases and/or intermetallic phases such as the S-phase, T- phase, and M-phase in the aluminium alloy ingot are dissolved using regular industry practice. This is typically carried out by heating the stock to a temperature of less than 500°C, typically in a range of 450°C to 485°C, as S-phase (AkMgCu-phase) has a dissolution temperature of about 489°C in AA7XXX-series alloys and the M-phase (MgZm-phase) has a dissolution temperature of about 478°C.
- the homogenization process can also be done in two or more steps if desired, and which are typically carried out in a temperature range of 440°C to 490°C for the AA7XXX-series alloy.
- a two-step homogenization process is applied. There is a first step between 455°C and 470°C, and a second step between 470°C and 485°C, to optimise the dissolving process of the various phases depending on the exact aluminium alloy composition.
- the soaking time at the homogenization temperature is in the range of 1 to 50 hours, and more typically for 2 to 20 hours.
- the heat-up rates that can be applied are those which are regular in the art.
- the hot working, and hot rolling in particular, may be performed to a near final gauge, which is between 12.7 mm and 76.2 mm.
- the plate material is hot rolled in a first hot rolling step to an intermediate hot rolled gauge, followed by an intermediate annealing step and then hot rolled in a second hot rolling step to near final hot rolled gauge.
- the plate material is hot rolled in a first hot rolling step to an intermediate hot rolled gauge, followed by a recrystallization annealing treatment at a temperature up to the SHT temperature range and then hot rolled in a second hot rolling step to near final hot rolled gauge.
- a next process step is solution heat treating (“SHT”) of the hot rolled plate.
- SHT solution heat treating
- the product should be heated to bring as much as possible, all or substantially all portions of the soluble zinc, magnesium and copper into solution.
- the SHT is preferably carried out in the same temperature range and time range as the homogenization treatment according as set out in this description, i.e. about 460-490°C. However, it is believed that also shorter soaking times can still be very useful, for example in the range of about 2 to 180 minutes.
- the SHT is typically carried out in a batch or a continuous furnace.
- the aluminium alloy be cooled with a high cooling rate to a temperature of 90°C or lower, preferably to ambient temperature, to prevent or minimise the uncontrolled precipitation of secondary phases, e.g., AbCuMg and AbCu, and/or MgZm.
- cooling rates should preferably not be too high to allow for a sufficient flatness and low level of residual stresses in the product. Suitable cooling rates can be achieved with the use of water, e.g. water immersion or water jets.
- the cooling rate is preferably in a range of about l°C/sec to 9°C/sec, and preferably about 2°C/sec to 5°C/sec when measured at mid-thickness of the product.
- the plate is further cold worked, for example, by stretching in the range of about 1% to 6% to relieve residual stresses therein and to improve the flatness of the plate product.
- the stretching is in the range of about 1% to 3%.
- the over-ageing treatment corresponds to the following two-step ageing heat treatment: about 4 to 12 hours at 110°C to 130°C followed by about 12 to 20 hours, and about preferably 12-18 hours, at 140°C to 160°C.
- the 7XXX-series plate product forming part of the armour component can be manufactured by: a. casting stock of a rolling ingot of the AA7XXX-series aluminium alloy according to this disclosure; b. homogenizing the rolling ingot; c. sawing or machining the ingot; d. preheating the ingot; e. rolling the ingot to form a plate; f. sawing the plate; g. solution heat treating (or SHT) the plate at approximately 470°C; h. stretching the plate approximately 2% to 3% with respect to length; i.
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy can be provided and cast as described above.
- the homogenization can be performed on the ingot as described above.
- the ingot can be sawed or machined as described above or using other suitable sawing or machining techniques.
- the ingot can be preheated using a pit furnace or by other suitable techniques, for heating the ingot to a suitable temperature for rolling.
- the ingot can be rolled to form a plate as described above or using other suitable rolling techniques.
- the plate can be solution heat treated (or SHT) at approximately 470°C and can be stretched to between 2% and 3%.
- the plate can be heat treated using the techniques described herein, or using other suitable techniques.
- the plate can be marked, or sawed, using suitable techniques.
- the plate can be tested for ballistic properties or performance, static properties or performance, or for other suitable properties or performance.
- the plate can be inspected to verify the plate is free from defects and can be packaged.
- the 7XXX-series plate product forming part of the armour component can be manufactured by: a. casting stock of a rolling ingot of the AA7XXX-series aluminium alloy as described herein; b. homogenizing the rolling ingot; c. sawing or machining the ingot; d. preheating the ingot; e. rolling the ingot to form a plate; f. sawing the plate; g. solution heat treating (or SHT) the plate at approximately 470°C; h. stretching the plate approximately 2% to 3% with respect to length; i.
- the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy can be provided and cast as described above.
- the homogenization can be performed on the ingot as described above.
- the ingot can be sawed or machined as described above or using other suitable sawing or machining techniques.
- the ingot can be preheated using a pit furnace, or by other suitable techniques, for heating the ingot to a suitable temperature for rolling.
- the ingot can be rolled to form a plate as described above or using other suitable rolling techniques.
- the plate can be solution heat treated (or SHT) at approximately 470°C and can be stretched to between 2% and 3%.
- the plate can be heat treated using the techniques described herein, or using other suitable techniques, at 120°C for a period (e.g., eight hours) and then at 155°C for a period (e.g., 14, 16, or 18 hours).
- the plate can be marked, or sawed, using suitable techniques.
- the plate can be tested for ballistic properties or performance, static properties or performance, or for other suitable properties or performance.
- the plate can be inspected to verify the plate is free from defects and can be packaged.
- the plate can be manufactured by any of the above-described processes and can be tempered to a T76 temper or a T79 temper.
- the T76 temper can include solution heat treating the plate and having the plate artificially overaged for achieving a high degree of exfoliation corrosion resistance.
- the T79 temper can include solution heat treating the plate and having the plate artificially overaged, to a lesser degree than the T76 temper, for achieving a high degree of exfoliation corrosion resistance.
- Example 1 The invention will now be illustrated with reference to non-limiting examples according to the invention.
- Example 1 The invention will now be illustrated with reference to non-limiting examples according to the invention.
- Aluminium alloy plates have been produced having different thicknesses (38.1, 50.8 and 76.2 mm) and subjected to varying over-ageing heat treatment followed by testing for the various properties. All aluminium alloy plates had of nominal composition (in wt. %) of 7.38% Zn, 2.03%
- the alloy composition of the 7XXX-series aluminium alloy plate is according to this disclosure.
- the alloy has a Zn/Mg-ratio of 3.63.
- the industrial manufacturing process includes DC casting of rolling ingots, homogenizing the ingot, hot rolling the homogenized ingot to arrive at an intermediate thickness, solution heat treating the plates at about 470°C, quenching, stretching of the plates for about 2.5% to arrive at final thickness, artificial over-ageing of the stretched plate as indicated in Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4.
- the plate products have been tested in their static mechanical properties (total yield strength (TYS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and percent elongation (A)) in both the LT- and longitudinal (L)-direction.
- the results are listed in respectively Table 2 and Table 3.
- Table 4 Ballistic properties of various lots of plates with varying thicknesses.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)
- Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)
- Transition And Organic Metals Composition Catalysts For Addition Polymerization (AREA)
- Glass Compositions (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IL309904A IL309904A (en) | 2021-07-22 | 2022-07-21 | Armour component produced from a 7xxx-series aluminium alloy |
KR1020237044245A KR20240012514A (en) | 2021-07-22 | 2022-07-21 | Armor elements manufactured from 7XXX-series aluminum alloy |
EP22753783.4A EP4373987A1 (en) | 2021-07-22 | 2022-07-21 | Armour component produced from a 7xxx-series aluminium alloy |
AU2022315631A AU2022315631A1 (en) | 2021-07-22 | 2022-07-21 | Armour component produced from a 7xxx-series aluminium alloy |
CA3223542A CA3223542A1 (en) | 2021-07-22 | 2022-07-21 | Armour component produced from a 7xxx-series aluminium alloy |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US202163224618P | 2021-07-22 | 2021-07-22 | |
US63/224,618 | 2021-07-22 |
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WO2023002441A1 true WO2023002441A1 (en) | 2023-01-26 |
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PCT/IB2022/056771 WO2023002441A1 (en) | 2021-07-22 | 2022-07-21 | Armour component produced from a 7xxx-series aluminium alloy |
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EP (1) | EP4373987A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20240012514A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2022315631A1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA3223542A1 (en) |
IL (1) | IL309904A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2023002441A1 (en) |
Citations (7)
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US20050189044A1 (en) * | 2003-04-10 | 2005-09-01 | Rinze Benedictus | Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy with improved damage tolerance-strength combination properties |
US20090269608A1 (en) * | 2003-04-10 | 2009-10-29 | Aleris Aluminum Koblenz Gmbh | Al-Zn-Mg-Cu ALLOY WITH IMPROVED DAMAGE TOLERANCE-STRENGTH COMBINATION PROPERTIES |
US8206517B1 (en) | 2009-01-20 | 2012-06-26 | Alcoa Inc. | Aluminum alloys having improved ballistics and armor protection performance |
US8758530B2 (en) | 2009-09-04 | 2014-06-24 | Alcoa Inc. | Methods of aging aluminum alloys to achieve improved ballistics performance |
WO2017044471A1 (en) | 2015-09-09 | 2017-03-16 | Constellium Rolled Products Llc | 7xxx alloy components for defense application with an improved spall resistance |
US10308998B2 (en) | 2014-03-06 | 2019-06-04 | Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, Llc | 7xxx alloy defence applications with a balanced armor piercing fragmentation performance |
WO2020148140A1 (en) * | 2019-01-18 | 2020-07-23 | Aleris Rolled Products Germany Gmbh | 7xxx-series aluminium alloy product |
-
2022
- 2022-07-21 WO PCT/IB2022/056771 patent/WO2023002441A1/en active Application Filing
- 2022-07-21 AU AU2022315631A patent/AU2022315631A1/en active Pending
- 2022-07-21 EP EP22753783.4A patent/EP4373987A1/en active Pending
- 2022-07-21 IL IL309904A patent/IL309904A/en unknown
- 2022-07-21 KR KR1020237044245A patent/KR20240012514A/en unknown
- 2022-07-21 CA CA3223542A patent/CA3223542A1/en active Pending
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20050189044A1 (en) * | 2003-04-10 | 2005-09-01 | Rinze Benedictus | Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy with improved damage tolerance-strength combination properties |
US20090269608A1 (en) * | 2003-04-10 | 2009-10-29 | Aleris Aluminum Koblenz Gmbh | Al-Zn-Mg-Cu ALLOY WITH IMPROVED DAMAGE TOLERANCE-STRENGTH COMBINATION PROPERTIES |
US20140224386A1 (en) * | 2003-04-10 | 2014-08-14 | Aleris Aluminum Koblenz Gmbh | Al-Zn-Mg-Cu ALLOY WITH IMPROVED DAMAGE TOLERANCE-STRENGTH COMBINATION PROPERTIES |
US8206517B1 (en) | 2009-01-20 | 2012-06-26 | Alcoa Inc. | Aluminum alloys having improved ballistics and armor protection performance |
US8747580B1 (en) | 2009-01-20 | 2014-06-10 | Alcoa Inc. | Aluminum alloys having improved ballistics and armor protection performance |
US8758530B2 (en) | 2009-09-04 | 2014-06-24 | Alcoa Inc. | Methods of aging aluminum alloys to achieve improved ballistics performance |
US10308998B2 (en) | 2014-03-06 | 2019-06-04 | Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, Llc | 7xxx alloy defence applications with a balanced armor piercing fragmentation performance |
WO2017044471A1 (en) | 2015-09-09 | 2017-03-16 | Constellium Rolled Products Llc | 7xxx alloy components for defense application with an improved spall resistance |
WO2020148140A1 (en) * | 2019-01-18 | 2020-07-23 | Aleris Rolled Products Germany Gmbh | 7xxx-series aluminium alloy product |
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EP4373987A1 (en) | 2024-05-29 |
IL309904A (en) | 2024-03-01 |
KR20240012514A (en) | 2024-01-29 |
CA3223542A1 (en) | 2023-01-26 |
AU2022315631A1 (en) | 2023-12-21 |
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