Provided herein are new aluminum alloys comprising Ca, Mg and/or Zn and new coated aluminum alloys comprising surface layers (e.g., coatings) comprising Ca, Mn, Zn, and/or Ni that can be used in aluminum alloy products, such as clad layers. Also provided are methods of making these aluminum alloys, coated aluminum alloys, and clad layers, as well as clad products. These alloys, coated alloys, clad layers, and products possess a combination of strength and other key attributes, such as corrosion resistance, formability, and applicability of paint line pretreatments. The materials can be used in a variety of applications, including automotive, transportation, and electronics applications.

The present invention provides a process for suppressing abnormal grain growth in friction stir welded aluminum alloys by inserting an intermediate annealing treatment (“IAT”) after the welding step on the article. The IAT may be followed by a solution heat treatment (SHT) on the article under effectively high solution heat treatment conditions. In at least some embodiments, a deformation step is conducted on the article under effective spin-forming deformation conditions or under effective superplastic deformation conditions. The invention further provides a welded article having suppressed abnormal grain growth, prepared by the process above. Preferably the article is characterized with greater than about 90% reduction in area fraction abnormal grain growth in any friction-stir-welded nugget.

The present invention provides a process for suppressing abnormal grain growth in friction stir welded aluminum alloys by inserting an intermediate annealing treatment (“IAT”) after the welding step on the article. The IAT may be followed by a solution heat treatment (SHT) on the article under effectively high solution heat treatment conditions. In at least some embodiments, a deformation step is conducted on the article under effective spin-forming deformation conditions or under effective superplastic deformation conditions. The invention further provides a welded article having suppressed abnormal grain growth, prepared by the process above. Preferably the article is characterized with greater than about 90% reduction in area fraction abnormal grain growth in any friction-stir-welded nugget.

A method for combined rolling and extruding of cast billet is proposed. When implementing the method for combined rolling and extruding of metals or alloys, a cast billet with a predetermined temperature is fed to the working gauge, in which it is rolled and then to the die, through which the cast billet is extruded. When the cast billet is fed into the working gauge, a cladding layer of metal or alloy is created on the surfaces of the rolls by extruding the cast billet through the gaps formed between the surfaces of the rolls and the die. This invention makes it possible to improve the quality of the resulting products, as well as to increase the efficiency of the process as a whole.

A method for combined rolling and extruding of cast billet is proposed. When implementing the method for combined rolling and extruding of metals or alloys, a cast billet with a predetermined temperature is fed to the working gauge, in which it is rolled and then to the die, through which the cast billet is extruded. When the cast billet is fed into the working gauge, a cladding layer of metal or alloy is created on the surfaces of the rolls by extruding the cast billet through the gaps formed between the surfaces of the rolls and the die. This invention makes it possible to improve the quality of the resulting products, as well as to increase the efficiency of the process as a whole.

A method for manufacturing a rolled product for automobile bodywork or body structure with an alloy containing Si: 0.75-1.10, Fe: max 0.4, Cu: 0.5-0.8, Mn: 0.1-0.4, Mg: 0.75-1, Ti: max 0.15, Cr: max 0.1 and V: max 0.1 is disclosed with several process steps from casting the ingot to forming and painting a car body part. The various possibilities of pre aging of the sheet as well as of the heat treatment of the part offer advantageous material properties in forming, material strength and low sensitivity to the bake hardening process which can vary depending in the part location in the car body.

A method for manufacturing a rolled product for automobile bodywork or body structure with an alloy containing Si: 0.75-1.10, Fe: max 0.4, Cu: 0.5-0.8, Mn: 0.1-0.4, Mg: 0.75-1, Ti: max 0.15, Cr: max 0.1 and V: max 0.1 is disclosed with several process steps from casting the ingot to forming and painting a car body part. The various possibilities of pre aging of the sheet as well as of the heat treatment of the part offer advantageous material properties in forming, material strength and low sensitivity to the bake hardening process which can vary depending in the part location in the car body.

An alloy composition is provided. The alloy composition includes silicon (Si) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.55 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.75 wt. %, magnesium (Mg) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.55 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.75 wt. %, chromium (Cr) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %, and a balance of the alloy composition being aluminum (Al). The alloy composition has an intermetallic phase content of less than or equal to about 3 wt. %. Methods of preparing the alloy composition and of processing the alloy composition are also provided.

An alloy composition is provided. The alloy composition includes silicon (Si) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.55 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.75 wt. %, magnesium (Mg) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.55 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.75 wt. %, chromium (Cr) at a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.15 wt. % to less than or equal to about 0.3 wt. %, and a balance of the alloy composition being aluminum (Al). The alloy composition has an intermetallic phase content of less than or equal to about 3 wt. %. Methods of preparing the alloy composition and of processing the alloy composition are also provided.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a 6xxx aluminum alloy having: silicon (Si) in an amount of 0.70 wt % to 1.1 wt % based on a total weight of the 6xxx aluminum alloy; magnesium (Mg) in an amount of 0.75 wt % to 1.15 wt % based on the total weight of the 6xxx aluminum alloy; a weight ratio of Mg to Si in the 6xxx aluminum alloy from 0.68:1.0 to 1.65:1.0; and copper (Cu) in an amount of 0.30 wt % to 0.8 wt % based on the total weight of the 6xxx aluminum alloy. Some embodiments of the present disclosure further relate to a method including steps of: casting an exemplary 6xxx aluminum alloy, homogenizing the exemplary 6xxx aluminum alloy; extruding the exemplary 6xxx aluminum alloy; and aging the 6xxx aluminum alloy.