US4068645A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Aluminum-silicon alloys, cylinder blocks and bores, and method of making same
Assignee: Rio Tinto Aluminium Bell Bay Ltd
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Filing: 1975-09-29
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Granted: 1978-01-17
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Expires: 1995-09-29
Abstract
Abstract Aluminum silicon alloys exhibiting microstructures characterized by the absence of any primary aluminum or primary silicon phase and a high volume fraction of finely dispersed eutectic silicon suitable for use as wear-resistant surfaces.
Inventors
- 👤 David Charles Jenkinson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 23:06
CPC Classifications
C; C30; C30B; C30B21/00; C30B21/02; C22; C22C; C22C21/00; C22C21/02; F; F02; F02F; F02F7/00; F02F7/0085; F02F2007/009; F05; F05C; F05C2201/00; F05C2201/02; F05C2201/021; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/4998; Y10T29/49988; Y10T29/49989
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
60 words
An aluminum-silicon alloy suitable for wearing surfaces consisting essentially of aluminum and an amount of silicon which is in excess of 12.7% and up to 18%, said alloy having a microstructure which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
60 words
An aluminum-silicon alloy suitable for wearing surfaces consisting essentially of aluminum and an amount of silicon which is in excess of 12.7% and up to 18%, said alloy having a microstructure which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
Alloy according to claim 1 wherein said particles of eutectic silicon have a particle size of less than 1 micron.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
Alloy according to claim 1 wherein said particles of eutectic silicon have a particle size of approximately 0.1 micron.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
Alloy according to claim 1 having a hardness in the range of 70-150, Brinell.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
Alloy according to claim 1 which includes 0-4% magnesium, 0-1.5% iron, 0-0.10% strontium, 0-0.10% sodium, the remainder, apart from impurities, being aluminum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
Alloy according to claim 1 which includes 0-4% copper, 0-4% magnesium, 0-1.5% iron, 0-0.10% strontium, 0-0.10% sodium, the remainder, apart from impurities, being aluminum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A cylinder block having a bore, said bore having as a wearing surface thereof the alloy of claim 1.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A cylinder block according to claim 7 wherein said bore is fitted with a piston having an aluminum alloy working surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
A cylinder block according to claim 7 wherein said bore is fitted with a piston having an aluminum alloy working surface, and said bore and said working surface being free of iron plating and chromium plating.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A cylinder block according to claim 9 wherein said piston is fitted with a chromium plated oil ring.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A cylinder block according to claim 9 wherein said piston is fitted with a chromium plated compression ring.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
A cylinder block of an internal combustion engine, said cylinder block having a bore, said bore having as a wearing surface thereof the alloy of claim 1, said bore being fitted with a piston having an aluminum alloy working surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A cylinder block according to claim 12 wherein said bore and working surface are free of iron plating and chromium plating and said piston is fitted with chromium plated oil and compression rings.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of producing aluminum-silicon alloys comprising forming a molten alloy consisting essentially of aluminum and an amount of silicon which is in excess of 12.7% and up to 18%, solidifying said molten alloy while controlling the growth rate of the solid phase during solidification at 200 or more microns per second and controlling the temperature gradient existing in the liquid phase at the solid/liquid interface during solidification at 100° C/cm to produce in the solidified alloy a microstructure which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of producing aluminum-silicon alloys comprising forming a molten alloy consisting essentially of aluminum and an amount of silicon which is in excess of 12.7% and up to 18%, solidifying said molten alloy while controlling the growth rate of the solid phase during solidification at 200 or more microns per second and controlling the temperature gradient existing in the liquid phase at the solid/liquid interface during solidification at 100° C/cm to produce in the solidified alloy a microstructure which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of producing aluminum-silicon alloys comprising forming a molten alloy consisting essentially of aluminum, an amount of silicon which is in excess of 12.7% and up to 18%, and up to 0.1% strontium, and solidifying said alloy under conditions of growth rate and temperature gradient which are sufficient to produce a microstructure in the solidified alloy which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns, said growth rate being 200 or more microns per second, said temperature gradient being 100° C/cm, and said amount of strontium being sufficient, in combination with said silicon content, growth rate and temperature gradient, to assist in the production of said microstructure.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of producing aluminum-silicon alloys comprising forming a molten alloy consisting essentially of aluminum, an amount of silicon which is in excess of 12.7% and up to 18%, and up to 0.1% strontium, and solidifying said alloy under conditions of growth rate and temperature gradient which are sufficient to produce a microstructure in the solidified alloy which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns, said growth rate being 200 or more microns per second, said temperature gradient being 100° C/cm, and said amount of strontium being sufficient, in combination with said silicon content, growth rate and temperature gradient, to assist in the production of said microstructure.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of producing aluminum-silicon alloy comprising forming a molten alloy consisting essentially of aluminum and about 13 to about 18% by weight of silicon, and solidifying said molten alloy in a directional solidification furnace under conditions of growth rate and temperature gradient which are sufficient to produce a microstructure in the solidified alloy which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns, said growth rate being controlled during solidification in the range of 200 to 2,000 microns per second and said temperature gradient in the liquid phase at the solid/liquid interface being controlled during solidification in the range of 10° to 150° C/cm.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of producing aluminum-silicon alloy comprising forming a molten alloy consisting essentially of aluminum and about 13 to about 18% by weight of silicon, and solidifying said molten alloy in a directional solidification furnace under conditions of growth rate and temperature gradient which are sufficient to produce a microstructure in the solidified alloy which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns, said growth rate being controlled during solidification in the range of 200 to 2,000 microns per second and said temperature gradient in the liquid phase at the solid/liquid interface being controlled during solidification in the range of 10° to 150° C/cm.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 16, wherein the alloy is solidified in the form of a cylinder sleeve for an internal combustion engine.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
Method according to claim 17 wherein the bore of the resultant sleeve is machined to the desired diameter and aluminum smear is removed from said bore with a weak warm solution of caustic soda followed by rinsing.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of producing aluminum-silicon alloy comprising forming a molten alloy consisting essentially of aluminum, about 13 to about 18% by weight of silicon, and up to 0.1% strontium, and solidifying said alloy in a directional solidification furnace under conditions of growth rate and temperature gradient which are sufficient to produce a microstructure in the solidified alloy which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns, said growth rate being controlled during solidification in the range of 200 to 2,000 microns per second and said temperature gradient in the liquid phase at the solid/liquid interface being controlled during solidification in the range of 10° to 150° C/cm.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of producing aluminum-silicon alloy comprising forming a molten alloy consisting essentially of aluminum, about 13 to about 18% by weight of silicon, and up to 0.1% strontium, and solidifying said alloy in a directional solidification furnace under conditions of growth rate and temperature gradient which are sufficient to produce a microstructure in the solidified alloy which is free of primary aluminum and silicon phases and is composed of fibrous, fully modified particles of eutectic silicon having a particle size of less than 10 microns, said growth rate being controlled during solidification in the range of 200 to 2,000 microns per second and said temperature gradient in the liquid phase at the solid/liquid interface being controlled during solidification in the range of 10° to 150° C/cm.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 19, wherein the alloy is solidified in the form of a cylinder sleeve for an internal combustion engine.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
37 words
Method according to claim 20 wherein the bore of the resultant sleeve is machined to the desired diameter and aluminum smear is removed from said bore with a weak warm solution of caustic soda followed by rinsing.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein said temperature gradient is about 100° C/cm and said growth rate is controlled in that portion of the shaded sector of the graph of FIG. 8 which corresponds to the silicon content of the alloy.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 19 wherein said temperature gradient is about 100° C/cm and the growth rate is controlled in that portion of the shaded sector of the graph of FIG. 8 which corresponds to the silicon content of the alloy.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3124452A
Cited
US3727524A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-01-16 | 1981-07-18 | 1982-01-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-01-16 | 1985-07-18 | 1986-01-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-01-16 | 1989-07-18 | 1990-01-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |