An Al-based bearing alloy and a slide bearing incorporating the alloy exhibit high corrosion resistance and maintain high strength for a long period of time even in a high temperature environment. The Al-based bearing alloy and slide bearing includes an Al matrix, and acicular compounds which are needle-shaped that precipitate at a plurality of sites in a structure of the Al matrix, and that have a minor diameter and a major diameter.

The present disclosure provides methods for preparing an extruded product from a solid billet. The methods can include providing an as-cast billet for extrusion; applying a simultaneous rotational shear and axial extrusion force to the as-cast billet to plasticize the as-cast billet; and extruding the plasticized as-cast billet with an extrusion die to form an extruded product. Methods for preparing extruded products from billets can also include: providing a billet for extrusion; while maintaining a majority of the billet below 100° C., applying a simultaneous rotational shear and axial extrusion force to one end of the billet to plasticize the one end of the billet; and extruding the plasticized one end of the billet with an extrusion die to form an extruded product. Methods for preparing an extruded product from a billet can also include providing a billet for extrusion; applying a simultaneous rotational shear and axial extrusion force to the billet to plasticize the billet; extruding the plasticized billet with an extrusion die to form an extruded product; and artificially aging the extruded product for less than the ASTM recommended amount of time.

The present disclosure provides methods for preparing an extruded product from a solid billet. The methods can include providing an as-cast billet for extrusion; applying a simultaneous rotational shear and axial extrusion force to the as-cast billet to plasticize the as-cast billet; and extruding the plasticized as-cast billet with an extrusion die to form an extruded product. Methods for preparing extruded products from billets can also include: providing a billet for extrusion; while maintaining a majority of the billet below 100° C., applying a simultaneous rotational shear and axial extrusion force to one end of the billet to plasticize the one end of the billet; and extruding the plasticized one end of the billet with an extrusion die to form an extruded product. Methods for preparing an extruded product from a billet can also include providing a billet for extrusion; applying a simultaneous rotational shear and axial extrusion force to the billet to plasticize the billet; extruding the plasticized billet with an extrusion die to form an extruded product; and artificially aging the extruded product for less than the ASTM recommended amount of time.

An aluminum alloy brazing sheet used for brazing of an aluminum material in an inert gas atmosphere or in vacuum is formed of a two-layer material in which a brazing material and a core material are stacked. The core material is formed of an aluminum alloy and has a grain size of 20 to 300 μm, and the aluminum alloy contains Mn of 0.50 to 2.00 mass %, Mg of 0.40 to 2.00 mass %. Si of 1.50 mass % or less, Fe of 1.00 mass % or less, and Ti of 0.10 to 0.30 mass %, with the balance being aluminum and inevitable impurities. The brazing material is formed of an aluminum alloy containing Si of 4.00 to 13.00 mass % with the balance being aluminum and inevitable impurities. In a drop-type fluidity test, a ratio α (α=K.sub.a/K.sub.b) of a fluid coefficient K.sub.a is 0.50 or more.

An aluminum alloy brazing sheet used for brazing of an aluminum material in an inert gas atmosphere or in vacuum is formed of a two-layer material in which a brazing material and a core material are stacked in this order. The core material is formed of an aluminum alloy and has a grain size of 20 to 300 μm, and the aluminum alloy contains Mn of 0.50 to 2.00 mass %, Mg of 0.40 to 2.00 mass %, Si of 1.50 mass % or less, and Fe of 1.00 mass % or less, with the balance being aluminum and inevitable impurities. The brazing material is formed of an aluminum alloy containing Si of 4.00 to 13.00 mass % with the balance being aluminum and inevitable impurities, and, in a drop-type fluidity test, a ratio α (α=K.sub.a/K.sub.b) of a fluid coefficient K.sub.a is 0.50 or more.

A method for manufacturing an aluminium tube, including providing a slug of an aluminium alloy consisting of >98.4% by weight of Al, 0.10% by weight to 0.30% by weight of Si, 0.25% by weight to 0.45% by weight of Fe, 0.01% by weight to 0.08% by weight of Cu, 0.15% by weight to 0.40% by weight of Mn, at most 0.15% by weight of Mg, at most 0.05% by weight of Zn, at most 0.05% by weight of Cr, at most 0.05% by weight of Ni, at most 0.05% by weight of Ti and at most 0.05% by weight of other impurities, wherein the aforementioned ingredients of the aluminium alloy add to 100% by weight, and impact extrusion of the slug to form an aluminium tube having a shoulder and a neck.

A method for manufacturing an aluminium tube, including providing a slug of an aluminium alloy consisting of >98.4% by weight of Al, 0.10% by weight to 0.30% by weight of Si, 0.25% by weight to 0.45% by weight of Fe, 0.01% by weight to 0.08% by weight of Cu, 0.15% by weight to 0.40% by weight of Mn, at most 0.15% by weight of Mg, at most 0.05% by weight of Zn, at most 0.05% by weight of Cr, at most 0.05% by weight of Ni, at most 0.05% by weight of Ti and at most 0.05% by weight of other impurities, wherein the aforementioned ingredients of the aluminium alloy add to 100% by weight, and impact extrusion of the slug to form an aluminium tube having a shoulder and a neck.

Described are processes for shaping age hardenable aluminum alloys, such as 2XXX, 6XXX and 7XXX aluminum alloys in T4 temper, or articles made of such alloys, including aluminum alloy sheets. The processes involve heating the sheet or article before and/or concurrently with a forming step. In some examples, the sheet is heated to a specified temperature in the range of about 100-600° C. at a specified heating rate within the range of about 3-600° C./s, for example about 3-90° C./s. Such a combination of temperature and heating rate results in an advantageous combination of sheet properties.

Described are processes for shaping age hardenable aluminum alloys, such as 2XXX, 6XXX and 7XXX aluminum alloys in T4 temper, or articles made of such alloys, including aluminum alloy sheets. The processes involve heating the sheet or article before and/or concurrently with a forming step. In some examples, the sheet is heated to a specified temperature in the range of about 100-600° C. at a specified heating rate within the range of about 3-600° C./s, for example about 3-90° C./s. Such a combination of temperature and heating rate results in an advantageous combination of sheet properties.

An object is to predict a microstructure of Al in an industrial process more accurately than conventional techniques. In an information processor (1), an inter-step information integration section supplies a PC(i) and an MS(i, 0) to each i-th step calculating section included in a step calculating section. Each i-th step calculating section supplies an MS(i, t) and a TMP(i, t) to a microstructure calculating section and thereby causes the microstructure calculating section to find an MS(i, tfi), and supplies the MS(i, tfi) to the inter-step information integration section (11). The inter-step information integration section (11) sets, as an MS(i+1, 0), the MS(i, tfi) received from the i-th step calculating section.