Microalloying of Continuous Cast Aluminum Strip and Structural Modification Using Plastic Treatment to a 9 μm Foil (Patent no. 39762, P-377/76)

Innovative procedure of microalloying continuous cast aluminum strip, thickness 10 mm, by Be, Zr and Mn using 3C Pechiney technology (no. 39762, P-377/76), and modifying the existing parameters for strip casting and crystallization was implemented under industrial conditions with two randomly selected batches 2×8 tones, without previous selection of standardized quality of aluminum, purity Al 99.5%, obtained by electrolysis. The application of microalloying and overall structural modification of the technology resulted in obtaining nanoscale, ultra-thin, compact oxide high-gloss film with uniform surface of continuous cast strip, instead of the usual thick and porous oxide film. The outcome of microalloying the obtained equiaxed fine-grained nano/micro structure was avoiding anisotropic and dendritic microstructure of the strip, and improving deformation and plastic properties of modified continuous cast strip subjected to the technology of plastic treatment by rolling until the desired foil thickness of 9 μm was obtained. The invention of microalloying and structural modification, including multiplying effect of several components, directly or indirectly, changed numerous structurally-sensitive properties. The obtained nano/micro structure of crystal grains with equiaxed structure resulted in the synergy of undesirable <111> and inevitable <100> and <110> textures. Numerous properties were significantly enhanced: elastic modulus was improved, and intensive presence of cracks in warm forming condition was prevented due to rapid increase of the number of grains to 10000 grains/cm2 in as-cast state.