A. P. Druschitz, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
BAC 100
TM, a family of high strength, high toughness, weldable, microalloyed aluminum casting alloys and a heat treatment process that insures good ductility and good resistance to stress corrosion cracking was recently invented. The goal of this material development program was to produce aluminum alloy castings with properties that meet MIL-DTL-46192C, Aluminum Alloy Armor, Rolled Plate, Weldable.
Currently, only wrought aluminum alloy 2519 processed in accordance with US Patent No. 4,610,733 can meet MIL-DTL-46192C. To meet this specification, wrought aluminum alloy 2519 is “stretched” in excess of 6%; this raises the yield strength of the material. However, to produce a structural component, a plate or billet must be machined. This is time consuming, costly and restricts the use of 2519 to relatively simple shapes. Further, if this material is welded, its high strength and high toughness are lost in the weld and the weld heat affected zone.
Two BAC 100TM variants have been developed: high strength and high toughness. Twenty-four (24) chemistry variations have been cast and evaluated in the T4, T6, T61 and T7 tempers. As the chemistry has been optimized, the heat treatment optimization has occurred in parallel. From this data, mathematical models have been developed to predict the influence of the seven primary elements that give BAC 100TM its unique physical and mechanical properties.
To accelerate the development of the BAC 100TM family of microalloyed aluminum alloy casting alloys, a CRADA was established and is currently in-progress with the US Dept. of Energy, Albany Research Center National Laboratory, Albany, OR.
BAC 100(TM), a family of high strength, high toughness, weldable, microalloyed aluminum casting alloys and a heat treatment process that insures good ductility and good resistance to stress corrosion cracking was recently invented. The goal of this material development program was to produce aluminum alloy castings with properties that meet MIL-DTL-46192C, Aluminum Alloy Armor, Rolled Plate, Weldable.
Currently, only wrought aluminum alloy 2519 processed in accordance with US Patent No. 4,610,733 can meet MIL-DTL-46192C. To meet this specification, wrought aluminum alloy 2519 is “stretched” in excess of 6%; this raises the yield strength of the material. However, to produce a structural component, a plate or billet must be machined. This is time consuming, costly and restricts the use of 2519 to relatively simple shapes. Further, if this material is welded, its high strength and high toughness are lost in the weld and the weld heat affected zone.
Two BAC 100TM variants have been developed: high strength and high toughness. Twenty-four (24) chemistry variations have been cast and evaluated in the T4, T6, T61 and T7 tempers. As the chemistry has been optimized, the heat treatment optimization has occurred in parallel. From this data, mathematical models have been developed to predict the influence of the seven primary elements that give BAC 100TM its unique physical and mechanical properties.
To accelerate the development of the BAC 100TM family of microalloyed aluminum alloy casting alloys, a CRADA was established and is currently in-progress with the US Dept. of Energy, Albany Research Center National Laboratory, Albany, OR.
