An aluminum alloy fin stock material comprising about 0.9-1.2 wt. % Si, 0.3-0.5 wt. % Fe, 0.20-0.40 wt. % Cu, 1.0-1.5 wt. % Mn, 0-0.1% Mg and 0.0-3.0% Zn, with remainder Al and impurities at ≤0.15 wt. %. The aluminum alloy fin stock material is produced in a form of a sheet by a process comprising the steps of direct chill casting an ingot, hot rolling the ingot after the direct chill casting, cold rolling the aluminum alloy to an intermediate thickness, inter-annealing the aluminum alloy cold rolled to an intermediate thickness at a temperature between 200 and 400° C., and cold rolling the material after inter-annealing to achieve % cold work (% CW) of 20 to 40%. The aluminum alloy fin stock material possesses an improved combination of one or more of pre- and/or post-brazes strength, conductivity, sag resistance and corrosion potential. It is useful for fabrication of heat exchanger fins.

An aluminum alloy fin stock material comprising about 0.9-1.2 wt. % Si, 0.3-0.5 wt. % Fe, 0.20-0.40 wt. % Cu, 1.0-1.5 wt. % Mn, 0-0.1% Mg and 0.0-3.0% Zn, with remainder Al and impurities at ≤0.15 wt. %. The aluminum alloy fin stock material is produced in a form of a sheet by a process comprising the steps of direct chill casting an ingot, hot rolling the ingot after the direct chill casting, cold rolling the aluminum alloy to an intermediate thickness, inter-annealing the aluminum alloy cold rolled to an intermediate thickness at a temperature between 200 and 400° C., and cold rolling the material after inter-annealing to achieve % cold work (% CW) of 20 to 40%. The aluminum alloy fin stock material possesses an improved combination of one or more of pre- and/or post-brazes strength, conductivity, sag resistance and corrosion potential. It is useful for fabrication of heat exchanger fins.

Systems and methods are disclosed for using magnetic fields (e.g., changing magnetic fields) to control metal flow conditions during casting (e.g., casting of an ingot, billet, or slab). The magnetic fields can be introduced using rotating permanent magnets or electromagnets. The magnetic fields can be used to induce movement of the molten metal in a desired direction, such as in a rotating pattern around the surface of the molten sump. The magnetic fields can be used to induce metal flow conditions in the molten sump to increase homogeneity in the molten sump and resultant ingot.

Systems and methods are disclosed for using magnetic fields (e.g., changing magnetic fields) to control metal flow conditions during casting (e.g., casting of an ingot, billet, or slab). The magnetic fields can be introduced using rotating permanent magnets or electromagnets. The magnetic fields can be used to induce movement of the molten metal in a desired direction, such as in a rotating pattern around the surface of the molten sump. The magnetic fields can be used to induce metal flow conditions in the molten sump to increase homogeneity in the molten sump and resultant ingot.

An aluminum alloy for die casting parts used in automotive structural applications is provided. According to example embodiments, the alloy includes 0.6 to 2.0 wt. % manganese, 0.5 to 4.0 wt. % magnesium, 0.0 to 1.0 wt. % iron, 0.0 to 3.0 wt. % zinc, 0.0 to 3.0 wt. % silicon, 0.0 to 1.0 wt. % zirconium, 0.0 to 0.5 wt. % titanium and/or boron, 0.0 to 0.05 wt. % strontium, and 85.5 to 98.8 wt. % aluminum, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy. The alloy maintains good characteristics during the casting process, including fluidity, manageable hot cracking, and anti-soldering. The alloy casting does not require a heat treatment process after the casting step to achieve acceptable mechanical properties. The aluminum alloy casting has a yield strength of at least 90 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of at least 180 MPa, and an elongation equal to or greater than 10% without heat treatment.

A method includes the production of a primary ingot, the production of a secondary ingot, and the removal of a flux layer. A CaO—CaF.sub.2 flux in a content of 3-20 mass % and obtained by mixing 35-95 mass % of CaF.sub.2 with CaO is added to a Ti—Al alloy material including a total of at least 0.1 mass % of oxygen and at least 40 mass % of Al, and the resultant substance is melted by a melting method using a water-cooled copper container in an atmosphere having a pressure of 1.33 Pa or higher and held to produce the primary ingot. The primary ingot is continuously drawn downwards while being melted by a melting method using a bottomless water-cooled copper casting mould in an atmosphere having a pressure of 1.33 Pa or higher to produce the secondary ingot. The flux layer deposited on the surface of the secondary ingot is mechanically removed.

A method includes the production of a primary ingot, the production of a secondary ingot, and the removal of a flux layer. A CaO—CaF.sub.2 flux in a content of 3-20 mass % and obtained by mixing 35-95 mass % of CaF.sub.2 with CaO is added to a Ti—Al alloy material including a total of at least 0.1 mass % of oxygen and at least 40 mass % of Al, and the resultant substance is melted by a melting method using a water-cooled copper container in an atmosphere having a pressure of 1.33 Pa or higher and held to produce the primary ingot. The primary ingot is continuously drawn downwards while being melted by a melting method using a bottomless water-cooled copper casting mould in an atmosphere having a pressure of 1.33 Pa or higher to produce the secondary ingot. The flux layer deposited on the surface of the secondary ingot is mechanically removed.

The present disclosure describes a process for producing an engine component, e.g., a piston for an internal combustion engine, where an aluminum alloy is cast by gravity diecasting, and an engine component composed at least partly of an aluminum alloy. The aluminum alloy includes silicon 8% to 17% by wt., copper 2% to 10% by wt., nickel 1% to 6% by wt., iron 0.1% to 3.5% by wt., magnesium 0.1% to 2% by wt., manganese 0.1% to 4% by wt., barium up to 4% by wt., titanium up to 0.5% by wt., zirconium up to 0.4% by wt., vanadium up to 0.3% by wt., phosphorus up to 0.05% by wt., chromium up to 0.3% by wt., and a balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities.

This invention discloses a series of low-cost, castable, weldable, brazeable and heat-treatable aluminum alloys based on modifications of aluminum-manganese-based alloys, which turn all the non-heat treatable Mn-containing aluminum alloys into heat treatable alloys with high-strength, ductility, thermal stability, and resistance to creep, coarsening and recrystallization. These alloys inherit the excellent corrosion resistance of the Al—Mn-based alloys and can be utilized in high temperature, high stress and a variety of other applications. The modifications are made through microalloying with one or any combinations of tin, indium, antimony and bismuth at an impurity level of less than 0.02 at. %, which creates nanoscale α-Al(Mn,TM)Si precipitates with a cubic structure (wherein TM is one or more of transition metals, and Mn is the main element) in an Al(f.c.c.)-matrix with a mean radius of about 25 nm and a relatively high volume fraction of about 2%.

A thixomolding material includes: a metal body that contains Mg as a main component; and a coating portion that is adhered to a surface of the metal body via a binder and contains Si particles containing Si as a main component. An average particle diameter of the Si particles is 1 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and a mass fraction of the Si particles in a total mass of the metal body and the Si particles is 1.0 mass % or more and 30.0 mass % or less. The binder may contain waxes. A content of the binder may be 0.001 mass % or more and 0.200 mass % or less.