Aluminum scandium alloy

Claim 2

The method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of heating said scandium enriched metal at a temperature in the range of 450* to 650* centigrade substantially without incipient fusion prior to the aging thereof.

Claim 3

The method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of heating said scandium enriched metal for at least 15 minutes at a temperature in the range of 450* to 650* centigrade substantially without incipient fusion prior to the aging thereof.

Claim 4

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said aluminum alloy comprises aluminum and at least one essential character forming element selected from the group consisting of copper in amount of about 0.5 to about 10 percent; magnesium in amount of about 0.5 to about 10 percent; zinc in amount of about 0.5 to about 10 percent; manganese in amouNt of about 0.15 to about 2.0 percent; beryllium in amount of about 0.001 to about 5.0 percent; lithium in amount of about 0.2 to 3.0 percent; iron in the amount of about 0.3 to about 2.0 percent and silicon in amount of about 0.25 to about 15 percent.

Claim 5

The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said aluminum alloy further comprises at least one ancillary alloying element selected from the group consisting of nickel in amount of about 0.5 to about 2.5 percent; chromium in amount of about 0.05 to about 0.4 percent; titanium in amount of about 0.01 to about 0.15 percent; vanadium in amount of about 0.05 to about 0.25 percent; zirconium in amount of about 0.05 to about 0.25 percent; boron in amount of about 0.0002 to about 0.04 percent; bismuth in amount of about 0.4 to about 0.7 percent; lead in amount of about 0.4 to about 0.7 percent and cadmium in amount of about 0.05 to about 0.5 percent.

Claim 6

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said scandium is present in amounts of from about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight.

Claim 7

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said scandium is present in amounts of from about 0.1 to about 1.5 percent by weight.

Claim 8

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said scandium is present in amounts of from about 0.1 to 0.8 percent by weight.

Claim 9

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said aging is for at least one-fourth hour.

Claim 10

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said aging is for from 1 to 50 hours in duration.

Claim 11

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said aging is effected in two stages with the temperature of the second stage being higher than that of the first of said two stages and with each of said two stages being of from one-fourth to 25 hours in duration.

Claim 13

The method of claim 13 characterized by the fact that the alloy also contains at least one element selected from the ancillary group consisting of the following elements in amounts within the indicated range of percent by weight of the total alloy: Nickel 0.5 to 2.5 Chromium 0.05 to 0.4 Titanium 0.01 to 0.15 Vanadium 0.05 to 0.25 Zirconium 0.05 to 0.25 Boron 0.0002 to 0.04 Bismuth 0.4 to 0.7 Lead 0.4 to 0.7 Cadmium 0.05 to 0.5

Claim 14

In a method of improving the physical properties of metal sElected from the class of aluminum and of aluminum alloy wherein the total of said aluminum in said alloy constitutes at least 85 percent thereof by adding an alloying element to said metal, the improvement consisting in alloying scandium with said metal in an amount of about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight and aging the resultant metal at a temperature within a range of about 100* to about 425* centigrade, said metal being characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than metal of the same composition but not containing said amount of scandium.

Claim 15

In a method of improving the physical properties of metal selected from the class of aluminum and of aluminum alloy wherein the total of said aluminum in said alloy constitutes at least 85 percent thereof, by adding an alloying element to said metal the improvement consisting in alloying scandium with said metal in an amount of about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight and aging the resultant metal at a temperature within a range of about 100* to about 425* centigrade for at least one-fourth hour, said metal being characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than metal of the same composition but not containing said amount of scandium.

Claim 16

In the method of improving the physical properties of metal selected from the class of aluminum and of aluminum alloy wherein the total of said aluminum in said alloy constitutes at least 85 percent thereof by adding an alloying element to said metal, the improvement consisting in alloying at least 0.01 percent scandium with said metal and aging the resultant metal at a temperature within a range of about 100* to about 425* centigrade, said metal being characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than metal of the same composition but not subjected to said aging treatment.

Claim 17

In the method of improving the physical properties of metal selected from the class of aluminum and of aluminum alloy wherein the total of said aluminum and of aluminum alloy wherein the total of said aluminum in said alloy constitutes at least 85 percent thereof by adding an alloying element to said metal, the improvement consisting in alloying at least 0.01 percent scandium with said metal and aging the resultant metal at a temperature within a range of about 100* to about 425* centigrade for periods of from one-fourth hour to 50 hours, said metal being characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than metal of the same composition but not subjected to said aging treatment.

Claim 18

Aluminum base alloy containing at least about 85 percent aluminum base material, about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium and at least one element selected from the group consisting of zinc, beryllium, lithium, magnesium, and manganese, in total amount up to 15 percent, the zinc being from about 0.5 to about 10 percent, the beryllium being from about 0.001 to about 5 percent, the lithium being from about 0.2 to about 3 percent, the magnesium being from about 0.5 to about 10 percent, and the manganese being from about 0.15 to about 2.0 percent, said aluminum base alloy having the basic alloy characteristics essentially imparted thereto by the presence in said aluminum base material of said selected elements and being characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than aluminum base alloys of the same composition but not including said amount of scandium.

Claim 19

The alloys of claim 19 characterized by the fact that the scandium content thereof is in the range of about 0.1 to about 1.5 percent by weight.

Claim 20

The alloys of claim 19 characterized by the fact that the scandium content thereof is in the range of about 0.1 to about 0.8 percent by weight.

Claim 21

Cold worked aluminum alloys containing about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium, said alloys deriving their basic characteristics from the presence therein of at least one element selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese, beryllium, iron and silicon, said alloys also containing as additives at least one element selected from an ancillary group consisting of nickel, chromium, titanium, vanadium, iron, zirconium, boron, silicon, cadmium, lithium, bismuth and lead, the aluminum content inclusive of impurities of the alloy being at least 85 percent by weight and the character forming elements and ancillary elements when selected and present forming a percent by weight portion within the approximate range of: Copper 0.5 to 10 Zinc 0.5 to 10 Manganese 0.15 to 2 Magnesium 0.5 to 10 Nickel 0.5 to 2.5 Chromium 0.05 to 0.4 Titanium 0.01 to 0.15 Vanadium 0.05 to 0.25 Zirconium 0.05 to 0.25 Boron 0.0002 to 0.04 Lithium 0.2 to 3.0 Bismuth 0.4 to 0.7 Lead 0.4 to 0.7 Cadmium 0.05 to 0.5 Beryllium 0.001 to 5.0 Silicon 0.25 to 15.0 Iron 0.3 to 2.0 the said alloys being further characterized by higher physical properties than similarly cold worked alloys of similar composition which are free of said scandium.

Claim 22

The alloys of claim 22 characterized by the fact that the scandium content thereof is in the range of about 0.1 to about 1.5 percent by weight.

Claim 23

The alloys of claim 22 characterized by the fact that the scandium content thereof is in the range of about 0.1 to about 0.8 percent by weight.

Claim 24

Aluminum base alloy containing at least about 85 percent aluminum base metal, about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium and at least one ancillary element selected from the group consisting of chromium, nickel, boron, lead, cadmium, lithium and bismuth, the chromium being from about 0.05 to about 0.4 percent, the nickel from about 0.5 to about 2.5 percent, the boron from about 0.0002 to 0.04 percent, the lead from about 0.4 to about 0.7 percent, the cadmium from about 0.05 to about 0.5 percent, the lithium from about 0.2 to about 3 percent and the bismuth from about 0.4 to about 0.7 percent.

Claim 25

Aluminum alloys containing about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium, said alloys deriving their basic characteristics from the presence therein of at least one element selected from the group consisting of zinc, magnesium, manganese, and beryllium, said alloys also containing as additives at least one element selected from an ancillary group consisting of nickel, chromium, boron, cadmium, lithium, bismuth and lead, the aluminum content inclusive of impurities of the alloys being at least 85 percent by weight and the character forming elements and ancillary elements when selected and present forming a percent by weight portion within the approximate range of: Zinc 0.5 to 10Manganese 0.15 to 2Magnesium 0.5 to 10Nickel 0.5 to 2.5Chromium 0.05 to 0.4Boron 0.0002 to 0.04Lithium 0.2 to 3.0Bismuth 0.4 to 0.7Lead 0.4 to 0.7Cadmium 0.05 to 0.5Beryllium 0.001 to 5.0 the said alloys being further characterized by higher physical properties than alloys of similar composition which are free of said scandium.

Claim 26

Aged aluminum or aluminum alloy containing at least about 85 percent aluminum and with the remainder constituted, at least in part, by scandium in an amount greater than 0.01 percent and characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths imparted thereto by aging at temperatures in the range of 100* to 425* centigrade than metal of the same composition but not exposed to such temperatures.

Claim 27

The product of claim 27 further characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths after prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures than aluminum and aluminum alloys of the same composition but not containing said amount of scandium after the same prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures.

Claim 28

The product of claim 27, further characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths after exposure at at least 149* C. for at least 1,000 hours than aluminum and aluminum alloys of the same composition but not containing said amount of scandium after exposure at the same at least 149* C. for the same at least 1,000 hours.

Claim 29

Age hardened aluminum alloys containing about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium, said alloys deriving their basic characteristics from the presence therein of at least one element selected from the essential group consisting of copper, zinc, beryllium, magnesium, iron, silicon and manganese, said alloys also containing as additives at least one element selected from an ancillary group consisting of nickel, chromium, titanium, vanadium, zirconium, boron, iron, silicon, cadmium, lithium, bismuth and lead, the aluminum content inclusive of impurities of the alloy being at least 85 percent by weight and the essential elements and ancillary elements when selected and present forming a percent by weight portion within the approximate range of: Copper 0.5 to 10 Zinc 0.5 to 10 Manganese 0.15 to 2 Magnesium 0.5 to 10 Nickel 0.5 to 2.5 Chromium 0.05 to 0.4 Titanium 0.01 to 0.15 Vanadium 0.05 to 0.25 Zirconium 0.05 to 0.25 Boron 0.0002 to 0.04 Lithium 0.2 to 3 Bismuth 0.4 to 0.7Lead 0.4 to 0.7Cadmium 0.05 to 0.5 Beryllium 0.001 to 5.0 Silicon 0.25 to 15 Iron 0.3 to 2.0 the said alloys being further characterized by higher physical properties than similarly age hardened alloys of similar composition which are free of said scandium.

Claim 30

Aged aluminum or aluminum alloy containing at least about 85 peRcent aluminum and with the remainder constituted, at least in part, by scandium in an amount greater than 0.01 percent and characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths imparted thereto by aging at temperatures in the range of 100* to 425* centigrade for at least one-fourth hour than metal of the same composition but not exposed to such temperatures.

Claim 31

Aged aluminum base alloy containing at least about 85 percent aluminum base metal, about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium and having the basic alloy characteristics essentially imparted thereto by the presence in said aluminum base metal of at least one element selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, beryllium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, iron and silicon in total amount up to 15 percent, the copper being from about 0.5 to about 10 percent, the zinc being from about 0.5 to about 10 percent, the beryllium being from about 0.001 to about 5 percent, the lithium being from about 0.2 to about 3 percent, the magnesium being from about 0.5 to about 10 percent, and the manganese being from about 0.15 to about 2.0 percent, the iron being from about 0.3 to about 2 percent and the silicon being from about 0.25 to about 15 percent, said aged aluminum base alloy being characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than aged aluminum base alloys of the same composition but not including said amount of scandium.

Claim 32

Aged aluminum and aluminum alloy containing from about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium which has been aged by exposure to temperatures of at least 100* C. and characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than aged aluminum and aluminum alloy of the same composition but not containing said amount of scandium.

Claim 33

Aged aluminum and aluminum alloys containing from about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium which has been aged at a temperature within the range of about 100* to 425* centigrade and characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than aged aluminum and aluminum alloys of the same composition but not containing said amount of scandium.

Claim 34

Aged aluminum and aluminum alloys containing from about 0.01 to about 5.0 percent by weight of scandium which has been aged for at least a one-fourth hour at a temperature within the range of about 100* 100* to 425* centigrade and characterized by higher tensile and yield strengths than aged aluminum and aluminum alloys of the same composition but not containing said amount of scandium.