Claims
- 1. A method for producing a heat-treated aluminum alloy casting in a shortened period of time, said method comprising:
(a) providing a heat treatable aluminum alloy casting at a solutionizing temperature; (b) first stage cooling said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting to a critical temperature at which precipitation of second phase particles of said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting is negligible, wherein said first stage cooling comprises a first stage cooling rate from about 15° F. per second to about 100° F. per second; (c) second stage cooling said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting to ambient temperature; (d) heating said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting to an artificial aging temperature; and (e) artificially aging said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting at said artificial aging temperature for a predetermined artificial aging time to form said heat-treated aluminum alloy casting.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of 2xxx series, 6xxx series, and 7xxx series aluminum alloys.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from 6xxx series aluminum alloys.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys 6061, 6063, 6022, 6111, 6082, 6013, 6005, 6009, 6016, 6181, 6260, 6963, and 6060.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is aluminum alloy 6061.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of aluminum casting alloys A356, A357, and A319.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys 2024, 2026, and 2124.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys 7050, 7055, 7075, 7085, and 7150.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said critical temperature of (b) is about 500° F.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said artificial aging temperature of (d) is from about 350° F. to about 400° F.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said artificial aging time of (e) is from about 5 minutes to about 120 minutes.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat-treated aluminum alloy casting of (e) is in a peak strength temper.
- 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising cooling said heat-treated aluminum alloy product of (e) to said ambient temperature.
- 14. A method for producing a heat-treated aluminum alloy casting in a shortened period of time, said method comprising:
(a) providing a heat treatable aluminum alloy casting at a solutionizing temperature; (b) cooling said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting to a predetermined artificial aging temperature, wherein a cooling rate is from about 15° F. per second to about 100° F. per second; and (c) artificially aging said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting at said artificial aging temperature for a predetermined artificial aging time to form said heat-treated aluminum alloy casting.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of 2xxx series, 6xxx series, and 7xxx series aluminum alloys.
- 16. The method of claim 14, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from 6xxx series aluminum alloys.
- 17. The method of claim 14, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys 6061, 6063, 6022, 6111, 6082, 6013, 6005, 6009, 6016, 6181, 6260, 6963, and 6060.
- 18. The method of claim 14, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is aluminum alloy 6061.
- 19. The method of claim 14, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group of aluminum casting alloys A356, A357, and A319.
- 20. The method of claim 14, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys 2024, 2026, and 2124.
- 21. The method of claim 14, wherein said heat treatable aluminum alloy casting of (a) is selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys 7050, 7055, 7075, 7085, and 7150.
- 22. The method of claim 14, wherein said artificial aging temperature of (b) is about 350-400° F.
- 23. The method of claim 14, wherein said artificial aging time of (c) is from about 5 minutes to about 120 minutes.
- 24. The method of claim 14, wherein said heat-treated aluminum alloy casting of (c) is in a peak strength temper.
- 25. The method of claim 14, further comprising cooling said heat-treated aluminum alloy product of (d) to said ambient temperature.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/347,948, filed Jan. 21, 2003 entitled “Method for Shortening Production Time of Heat Treated Aluminum Alloys”.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10347948 |
Jan 2003 |
US |
Child |
10409728 |
Apr 2003 |
US |