Known in the art, in many application that relate to high-intensity relatively, for example airframe, vehicle component and other application, use heat treatable aluminium alloy.Aluminium alloy AA2024, but AA2324 and AA2524 are well-known heat-treatable aluminum alloys, and it has useful intensity and toughness properties at T3, T39 and T351 state.But aluminium alloy AA6013 and AA6056 also are well-known heat-treatable aluminum alloys, and it has useful intensity and toughness properties at T4 and T6 state, also have good antifatigue crack expansibility simultaneously.
Known, the T4 conditions refers to natural aging and arrives the solution heat treatment of stable performance level basically and the condition of quenching, and the T6 state refers to the more intensive condition that produces by artificial aging.
The alloy of some other AA2000 and AA6000 series is general and be not suitable for the design of commercial aircraft, and commercial aircraft needs different performance for different types of structure.Depend on standard,,, can make weight saving particularly to high Δ K-value even in the little raising of toughness and resistance of crack propagation in order to the particular aircraft parts, this can be in the life-span of aircraft fuel economy and/or higher security level is arranged.Particularly to fuselage skin or lower wing covering, for example have or can be necessary with the form of fracture toughness property or with the good resistance of crack propagation of antifatigue crack expansibility form.Have raising damage tolerance performance will improve passenger's safety with sheet material or with the rolled alloy product that sheet material uses, with the weight of minimizing aircraft with will cause longer flight range, lower consumption and more low-frequency maintenance intervals.
US-5,213,639 disclose the method for using aluminum base alloy to produce the AA2000 series alloys, and aluminum base alloy carries out hot rolling, heating and hot rolling once more, thereby obtains the good combination of intensity and high fracture toughness property and low propagation rate of fatigue crack by means.Also disclose behind the temperature hot rolling ingot between 479-524 ℃, used that process annealing is handled and the alloy of hot rolling process annealing once more.It is reported that this alloy compares with traditional AA2024-series alloy, improving 5% and on certain Δ K-level, have a resistance of crack propagation of raising on the T-L fracture toughness property.
Reported that known AA6056 alloy is responsive at the T6 conditions to intergranular corrosion.In order to overcome this problem US-5,858,134 provide the production method with the rolling or squeezing prod that limits chemical constitution, thus, product are reached-the timeliness conditions, and this method needs time-consuming expensive number of processes at aircraft components manufacturer end.Here, the resistance to intergranular corrosion of report in order to obtain to improve, in the method, the ratio of Mg/Si is necessary less than 1 in the alloy.
US-4,589,932 disclose and have been used for for example aluminium forging alloy product of automobile and aeronautic structure, and this subsequently alloy is registered as AA name 6013.At temperature range 449-582 ℃ of this aluminium alloy of solution heat treatment near the alloy solidus temperature.
EP-A-1143027 discloses the method for producing the Al-Mg-Si alloy with the AA6000-series that limits chemical constitution, and wherein product carry out the artificial aging process with improve alloy and satisfy be preferred for aerospace applications but be not similar high damage tolerance (" the HDT ") characteristic of AA2024-series alloy that can weld.Optimize ag(e)ing process by each self-applying of forming.
EP-1170394-A2 discloses the aluminum alloy sheet section product of the antifatigue crack expansibility with raising, has the anisotropic microstructure that is limited greater than about 4 particle by the ratio of mean length and width.By the comparison of articles of sheet material and traditional AA2524-articles of sheet material separately, this alloy has the raising in the compressive yield strength performance.Anisotropic grain pattern by height can improve the antifatigue crack expansibility.
WO-97/22724 discloses and has produced the method and apparatus that the typical case is used for the aluminum alloy sheet section product of automobile application, and the hot rolling and the cold rolling sheet material that have carried out solution heat treatment and quenching by continuous before successive batches step and heating fast have the yield strength of raising to the preageing temperature.After rapid heating, environment cools is batched the sheet material of shape, and rapid heating and environment cools have improved coating oven dry (paintbake) response of aluminum alloy sheet.Disclose preferred rapid heating and batched the shape sheet material between 65-121 ℃ and select environment cools speed, be preferably 1.1-3.3 ℃/h.
The object of the present invention is to provide the method for producing alloy product, this alloy product has the toughness of raising and the antifatigue crack expansibility of raising, keeps traditional AA2000-, AA6000-thus, AA5000-or AA7000-series alloy strength level.More specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide the improved production method that has high damage tolerance (" the HDT ") alloy of balance quality for antifatigue crack expansibility, toughness, erosion resistance and intensity.The HDT-performance should preferably be better than AA6013-T6, the 6056-T6 alloy of traditional mode of production and preferably be better than AA2024-T3 or the AA2524-T3 alloy.
More specifically, when being used for aerospace applications, have general requirement for preferred rolling AA6000-series alloys in the aluminium alloy scope of AA6013 and AA6056-series, promptly propagation rate of fatigue crack by means (" FCGR ") should be not more than the maximum value of qualification.The FCGR that satisfies the requirement of high damage tolerance 2024-series alloy product be for example when Δ K=20MPa √ m FCGR be lower than 0.001mm/ circulation and when Δ K=40MPa √ m, be lower than the 0.01mm/ circulation.
Another object of the present invention is to be provided for the aluminum alloy product of structural texture part in the airplane industry, and provides by the aircraft skin material of this alloy production or the automobile component part is provided.
The present invention solves in the above-mentioned purpose one or more by the feature of independent claim.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide the method for the high-damage tolerant alloy of producing the antifatigue crack expansibility with high tenacity and raising, comprises step
A) casting has the AA2000 of being selected from, AA5000, the ingot casting of the composition of AA6000 and AA7000-series alloy;
B) after casting, homogenize and/or preheat ingot casting;
C) this ingot casting of hot rolling becomes hot-rolled product, and optionally further cold rolling this hot-rolled product becomes cold-rolled products, is characterised in that this hot-rolled product is with hot rolls temperature out (T
Exit) leave hot rolls and by controlled refrigeration cycle with this hot-rolled product from described T
ExitBe cooled to 150 ℃, rate of cooling is by T (t)=50-(50-T
Exit) e
α tIn the scope of definition, wherein T (t) be as time (with a hour expression) function temperature (℃), t is time (with a hour expression), and α is (with hrs
-1Expression) be the parameter of definition rate of cooling, and α is at-0.09 ± 0.05 (hrs
-1) scope and preferred at-0.09 ± 0.03 (hrs
-1) scope.
Have been found that at 150 ℃ below the temperature, rate of cooling no longer with obtain one or more relevant according in the advantage of the present invention.
Yet prior art instruction those skilled in the art casting and hot rolling ingot are to obtain sheet material or articles of sheet material, and wherein ingot casting optionally carries out pre-treatment or homogenizes before hot rolling, and hot-rolled product is very fast loses its high-temperature, so have damaged the performance of product.Have been found that according to the present invention by carrying out controlled refrigeration cycle, can improve for example toughness of this rolled products and the damage tolerance performance of resistance of crack propagation at this hot-rolled product preset time of temperature maintenance that raises and to it.
In the technical scale practice, typical hot rolls temperature out is 350-500 ℃ scope, and depend on alloy, to be that the upper end of this scope is about 420-500 ℃ for example, and will be that the lower end of this scope is about 350-425 ℃ AA2xxx and AA7xxx-series alloy temperature out to the AA6xxx temperature out.
The further cold rolling of refrigerative hot-rolled product of batching form is optional.Cold rolling can be parallel rolling or transverse rolling.Before cold rolling, in the process or other process annealing step afterwards also be optional.
In addition, may batch with acquisition hot-rolled product and batch form, thereby obtain controlled rate of cooling up to the product cool to room temperature.Then, may cut coiled material to the base material, and then further cold rolling.The material of the operational path production by this invention and those hot-rolled products that cut into base material (the sheet material route of standard) in hot rolling or after the hot rolling that do not batch or those products that batch (the sheet material route of standard) after cold rolling are compared, and show the better properties balance.
The second replaceable mode of hot-rolled product being carried out controlled refrigeration cycle is the step that alloy is moved through continuously stove after hot rolling, and wherein said stove is adjustable to provide heat and/or cold for this alloy when forwarding cold rolling position to or batching the position.
In other replaceable mode, rolled products is arrived required specification by first hot rolling, and uses conventional method of cooling cool to room temperature then.Afterwards, the refrigerative hot-rolled product is heated to the hot rolls temperature out once more, and uses the controlled refrigeration cycle according to invention to be cooled to be lower than 150 ℃ then, and further handles subsequently.
Depend on and produce sheet material or sheet material, hot-rolled product or being provided to described stove after the hot rolling or batching after hot rolling is wherein further handled (sheet material route) on coiled material.If cutting prod becomes sheet material in hot rolling or after the hot rolling, on the sheet material of producing thus, further handle.
Stove is preferably adjustable, depends on rate of cooling, leaves thickness and other size of the hot-rolled product of hot rolling position, in the heat that various amounts are provided near the hot rolling position with in the heat that other amounts are provided more at a distance from the hot rolling position.
When hot-rolled product carries out controlled refrigeration cycle by batching, may in stove separately, batch alloy after the hot rolling, wherein said stove is also preferably adjustable to provide heat to circulate with controlled chilling.
In one embodiment, when leaving hot rolls with the hot rolls temperature out, hot-rolled product has the specification that is up to the 12mm scope, preferred 1-10mm scope, more preferably 4-8mm scope.
When hot-rolled product further carried out cold rolling manipulation, preferred total cold roling reduction was that 40-70% is with further optimization mechanical property.The final specification of rolled alloy product is the 2-7mm scope preferably.
The method according to this invention can further comprise one or more following steps:
D) soluble constituent in the alloy is placed under the temperature and time of sosoloid being enough to, carrying out solution heat treatment through hot-rolled product or cold-rolled products after the controlled refrigeration cycle;
E) by deluge quench or in water or the quench alloy product of solution heat treatment of the dipping in other quenchant;
F) optional, alloy product that stretching or compacting are quenched or other cold working method are to discharge stress, for example leveling of articles of sheet material;
G) optional timeliness is quenched the also optional alloy product that stretches or suppress to obtain required state, required state relies on the chemical constitution with alloy, but comprises T3, T351, T6, T4, T74, T76, T751, T7451, T7651, T77, T79 state.
In addition, may be at the first hot-rolled manipulation after annealing and/or reheat hot rolling ingot, and then according to the present invention after cooling once more this product of hot rolling to final hot rolling specification.In addition, may be before cold rolling and/or in the cold-rolled process process annealing hot rolled product.The favourable use in the method according to the invention of these known systems energy.
According to the present invention, average rate of cooling is 12-20 ℃ of/hour scope when using controlled refrigeration cycle.
In an embodiment of the invention, be used for ingot casting as the processing route of method disclosed herein, comprise following composition (weight %): Si 0.6-1.3, Cu 0.04-1.1, Mn0.1-0.9, Mg 0.4-1.3, Fe 0.01-0.3, Zr<0.25, Cr<0.25, Zn<0.6, Ti<0.15, V<0.25, Hf<0.25, other element, impurity particularly, every kind be less than 0.05 and total amount be less than 0.20, the aluminium of surplus.Preferred, alloy is in the compositing range of AA6013 or AA6056.
The ingot casting that another embodiment of the invention uses comprises following composition (weight %): Cu 3.8-5.2, Mg 0.2-1.6, Cr<0.25, Zr<0.25 and preferred 0.06-0.18, Mn≤0.50 and Mn>0, preferably>0.15, Fe≤0.15, Si≤0.15, with contain the Mn dispersoid, with incidental element and impurity, every kind be less than 0.05 and total amount be less than 0.15 and surplus basically, and preferred, wherein contain the Zr dispersoid to the alternative Mn dispersoid that contains of small part.
Another embodiment according to the inventive method, the ingot casting that uses comprises following composition (weight %): Zn 5.0-9.5, Cu 1.0-3.0, Mg 1.0-3.0, Mn<0.35, Zr<0.25 and preferred 0.06-0.16, Cr<0.25, Fe<0.25, Si<0.25, Sc<0.35, Ti<0.10, Hf and/or V<0.25, other element, be typically impurity, every kind be less than 0.05 and total amount be less than 0.15, the aluminium of surplus.Typical embodiment is the alloy in AA7040, AA7050 and AA7x75 scope.
According to another aspect of the present invention, aluminum alloy sheet or plate product antifatigue crack expansibility with high tenacity and raising, that make according to the alloy product of as above having described and will more specifically described below method produce are disclosed.More particularly, the most suitable production of the present invention is as the rolled alloy articles of sheet material of the structural member of aircraft or automobile.This rolling articles of sheet material for example can be used for the fuselage skin of aircraft or the component part of vehicle.
Aforesaid and the further feature of the method according to this invention and alloy product and advantage will preferred embodiment become apparent with the detailed description of accompanying drawing from following, wherein
Embodiment
Embodiment 1
In first preferred implementation of the present invention, cast two kinds of traditional alloys (AA6013 and AA6056) and be processed into articles of sheet material.Here, use the variant of two kinds of processing:
Route 1. uses chamber by experiment to cast the conventional processing route of traditional AA6013 and AA60156-alloy composition ingot casting.The briquet of 80 * 80 * 100mm is sawed down, is homogenized, is preheated with hot rolling and arrive the 4.5mm sheet material.After hot rolling, by the ambient air cool to room temperature hot-rolled product routine is cooled to envrionment temperature, be provided to cold rolling position, be cold rolled to 2mm, and 550 ℃ of thermal treatments 20 minutes, quench then and timeliness arrived 190 ℃ of T6-states 4 hours.
The casting of the ingot casting chamber of experimentizing and the saw of route 2. traditional AA6013 and AA6056-alloy composition are 80 * 80 * 100mm size.These briquets homogenize, preheat with hot rolling and arrive 4.5mm.By hot-rolled product is applied to full-scale production in batch similar temperature history, carry out the simulation that plant-scale hot rolling is got.It is similar to route 1 that other treatment step keeps.After cold rolling, cold-rolled products are in 550 ℃ of thermal treatments 20 minutes, quenching, timeliness is to 190 ℃ of T6 states 4 hours then.The result provides in table 1.
Table 1. is provided with down 6013 and intensity (the R of the small-sized Euronorm of use of 6056-alloy composition according to what describe as above that route 1 and route 2 handle two kinds of different hot rolls temperature outs
p, R
m), notch toughness (TS/R
p), the summary of intergranular corrosion (IGC) degree of depth and type.
The alloy numbering | Route | The hot rolling temperature out (℃) | R
p(MPa)
| R
m(MPa)
| TS/R
p | The IGC degree of depth (μ m) | The IGC type |
1 6013 2 3 4 5 6056 6 7 8 | 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 | 490 490 450 450 490 490 450 450 | 354 344 345 337 347 349 328 331 | 390 381 385 377 386 388 372 375 | 1.75 1.72 1.73 1.63 1.85 1.79 1.75 1.70 | 101 118 97 108 112 177 103 143 | P(i) I I I I I+ P(i) I |
As can be seen from Table 1, rolled products reveals better notch toughness under the higher hot-rolled temperature by tensile yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength water-glass of keeping.In addition, improved intergranular corrosion, so that carry out further test (table 2) about the antifatigue crack expansibility.
Sample 1,2 and 5,6 (higher hot-rolled temperature) is in the summary of the antifatigue crack expansibility (" FCGR ") of two kinds of different Δ K-levels in table 2. table 1.
Alloy | Route | The hot rolling temperature out (℃) | FCGR ΔK=30MPa√m | FCGR ΔK=40MPa√m |
6013 6056 | 2 1 2 1 | 490 490 490 490 | 1.83E-03 1.84E-03 1.62E-03 1.66E-03 | 5.26E-03 8.88E-03 3.32E-03 4.89E-03 |
Although the antifatigue crack expansibility of product of the present invention low Δ K value with according to the antifatigue crack expansibility of standard technology route production product much at one, improved antifatigue crack expansibility in higher delta K value.
Another has preferred embodiment been produced low copper high damage tolerance AA6000-series alloy and has formed in full-scale production test according to the present invention.Composition provides in table 3.
Table 3. high damage tolerance AA6000-serial section product is with the composition of weight %, the aluminium of surplus and unavoidable impurities.
Si | Fe | Cu | Mg | Mn | Zn |
1.14 | 0.18 | 0.32 | 0.70 | 0.71 | 0.08 |
Handle alloy to articles of sheet material with 4.5mm hot rolling specification.Use following three processing variation then:
Route 1. standards are handled route.(after hot rolling, not batching step)
Route 2. has batching and hot rolling in the same direction and cold rolling invention processing route after hot rolling.
Route 3. have after hot rolling batch and route is handled in the invention of hot rolling in different directions and cold rolling (transverse rolling).
Three kinds of above-mentioned processing variation are applied to following general processing route:
The a.DC casting has the ingot casting of table 3 alloy composition.
B. ingot casting homogenizes.
C. the ingot casting that homogenizes 510 ℃ of preheatings is 6 hours, and the ingot casting of hot rolling preheating then, makes temperature out be about 450 ℃, specification 4.5mm.
D1. do not have and batch (=route 1).
D2. batch, cool off and cut into sheet material (=route 2).
D3. batch, cool off and cut into sheet material (=route 3).
E1. be cold rolled to 2mm final specification (route 1).
E2. on the direction identical, be cold rolled to 2mm final specification (route 2) with hot rolling.
E3. cold rolling on the direction different with hot rolling (transverse rolling) is to 2mm final specification (route 3).
F.550 ℃ thermal treatment is 2 hours.
G. cold-rolled products 1.5-2.5% stretches.
H. timeliness was to 190 ℃ of T6 states 4 hours.
Table 4. uses the intensity (R according to the small-sized Euronorm of use of the finished product of the alloy of table 3 and above-mentioned three kinds of processing routes 1,2 and 3
p, R
m), notch toughness (TS/R
p), the summary of intergranular corrosion (IGC).
Route | R
p R
m (MPa) (MPa)
| R
p R
m (MPa) (MPa)
| TS/R
p | The IGC degree of depth (μ m) |
| The L direction | The LT direction | The T-L direction | |
1 2 3 | 334 345 329 344 333 344 | 322 344 321 341 326 347 | 1.51 1.60 1.58 | 62 48 49 |
Although can keep strength level, demonstrate better notch toughness and better intergranular corrosion performance according to handling route 2 and 3 rolled products of producing.Therefore, also carry out the test of antifatigue crack expansibility and in table 5 and 6, providing.
Table 5. is according to above-mentioned processing route 1,2 and the antifatigue crack expansibility with mm/ cyclic representation of 3 products of producing 5 kinds of different Δ K-values.
ΔK(MPa√m) | Route 1 | Route 2 | Route 3 |
10 20 30 40 50 | 1.52E-04 1.43E-03 6.14E-03 1.70E-02 3.73E-02 | 1.71E-04 8.58E-04 3.38E-03 9.54E-03 1.85E-02 | 1.78E-04 1.26E-03 5.17E-03 - - |
Table 6. is with respect to the value of the table 5 of standard (route 1).
ΔK(MPa√m) | Circuit 1 | Circuit 2 | Circuit 3 |
10 20 30 40 50 | 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% | 113% 60% 55% 56% 50% | 117% 88% 84% - - |
Above-mentioned sample demonstrates, and the application of the invention method can improve the damage tolerance performance of sheet material and plate product, particularly can improve the antifatigue crack expansibility of higher delta K value.
Embodiment 2
Fig. 1 has shown the typical continuous cooling curve of aluminium AA7050 alloy when 440 ℃ of hot rolling temperature outs are cooled to be lower than 150 ℃ of temperature, thus according to an embodiment of the method for this invention, metal sheet has the specification of 4.5mm, and batches immediately when leaving hot rolls.The width of coiled material is 1.4m.Hottest point (center is shown in HotSpt among Fig. 1) and cold spot (coil edge is shown in ColdSpt among Fig. 1) for coiled material also provide this coiled material temperature as the function of time in the table 7.Table 7 also provides the temperature of the situation with the wide coiled material of 2.8m.
Shown in Fig. 1 cooling curve, α is about-0.084hrs
-1
Use conventional cooling technology, promptly after leaving hot rolls, place sheet material cooling and without any operation such as batching in normal still air, make the sheet material with about 4.0-4.5mm specification be cooled to be lower than 150 ℃ from the hot rolls temperature out, in the case, typical α is-0.5--2hrs
-1Scope, result are that this sheet material is cooled to 150 ℃ or low temperature more from the hot rolls temperature out in less than 3 hours time.
Controlled refrigeration cycle is followed the equation of stipulating in above-mentioned and the claim, and the average rate of cooling of batching from 440 to 150 ℃ of product forms is 12-20 ℃ of/hour scope.
Table 7. is when having AA7050 alloy that 4.5mm batches specification according to the invention cooling, as the coiled material temperature of the function of time.
Time (hour) | Roll up wide 1.4 meters | Roll up wide 2.8 meters |
| Cold spot (℃) | Hottest point (℃) | Cold spot (℃) | Hottest point (℃) |
0 | 431 | 440 | 431 | 440 |
2 | 344 | 372 | 349 | 385 |
6 | 249 | 266 | 262 | 287 |
10 | 187 | 199 | 204 | 222 |
12 | 165 | 175 | 182 | 197 |
14 | 146 | 150 | 163 | 176 |
16 | 130 | 137 | 148 | 159 |
18 | 117 | 123 | 134 | 144 |
All described invention now, but to those skilled in the art, the many variations and the change that do not depart from invention scope described herein and purport are conspicuous.