US5545487A — Wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy and method…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 112 words

A wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy which consists of, in terms of weight, 2.4-23.5% Si, 2-5% Cu, 0.2-1.5% Mg, 0.01-1% of one or more members selected from the group of transition metals consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zr and Nb, and the balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities; which has a dapple grain structure of an Al solid solution phase having Si, Cu, Mg and said transition metal diffused therein and an Al-Si alloy phase containing dispersed pro-eutectic Si crystals having a maximum diameter of 5-60 μm, and the area of said Al solid solution phase is 21 to 80 percent in the cross-section of said dapple grain structure.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 112 words

A wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy which consists of, in terms of weight, 2.4-23.5% Si, 2-5% Cu, 0.2-1.5% Mg, 0.01-1% of one or more members selected from the group of transition metals consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zr and Nb, and the balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities; which has a dapple grain structure of an Al solid solution phase having Si, Cu, Mg and said transition metal diffused therein and an Al-Si alloy phase containing dispersed pro-eutectic Si crystals having a maximum diameter of 5-60 μm, and the area of said Al solid solution phase is 21 to 80 percent in the cross-section of said dapple grain structure.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 40 words

The wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pro-eutectic Si crystals having a maximum diameter of 5-60 μm are uniformly dispersed in the grains of said Al-Si alloy phase in the whole body of sintered alloy.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 86 words

The wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pro-eutectic Si crystals having a maximum diameter of 5-60 μm are dispersed in the grains of said Al-Si alloy phase existing in the vicinity of the external surface or at least in a contact surface of said sintered alloy and other pro-eutectic Si crystals having a diameter of less than 5 μm are dispersed in the grains of said Al-Si alloy phase existing in the other part of the body of said sintered alloy.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 44 words

The wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy as claimed in claim 3, wherein the thickness of the portion of Al-Si alloy phase containing dispersed pro-eutectic Si crystals having a maximum diameter of 5-60 μm, is 0.05-1 mm as measured from the surface of said sintered alloy.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 244 words

A method for producing a wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy which comprises the steps of: preparing a mixture of 20-80 parts by weight of Al-Si alloy powder containing 13 to 30 wt. % of Si and 80-20 parts by weight of Al powder; adding a Cu-transition metal alloy powder containing 0.2-30 wt. % of one or more members selected from the group of transition metals consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zr, and Nb; and Mg powder or an Al-Mg alloy powder containing 35 wt. % or more of Mg, to said mixture of Al powder and Al-Si alloy powder, thereby obtaining a powder mixture having the composition consisting of, in terms of weight, 2.4-23.5% Si, 2-5% Cu, 0.2-1.5% Mg, 0.01-1% of said transition metals and the balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities; compacting the thus obtained powder mixture into a green compact; and sintering said green compact to obtain a sintered aluminum alloy which consists of, in terms of weight, 2.4-23.5% Si, 2-5% Cu, 0.2-1.5% Mg, 0.01-1% of said transition metals and the balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities; and which has a dapple grain structure of an Al solid solution phase having Si, Cu, Mg and said transition metal diffused therein and an Al-Si alloy phase containing dispersed pro-eutectic Si crystals having a maximum diameter of 5-60 μm, and the area of said Al solid solution phase is 21 to 80 percent in the cross-section of said dapple grain structure.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 244 words

A method for producing a wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy which comprises the steps of: preparing a mixture of 20-80 parts by weight of Al-Si alloy powder containing 13 to 30 wt. % of Si and 80-20 parts by weight of Al powder; adding a Cu-transition metal alloy powder containing 0.2-30 wt. % of one or more members selected from the group of transition metals consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zr, and Nb; and Mg powder or an Al-Mg alloy powder containing 35 wt. % or more of Mg, to said mixture of Al powder and Al-Si alloy powder, thereby obtaining a powder mixture having the composition consisting of, in terms of weight, 2.4-23.5% Si, 2-5% Cu, 0.2-1.5% Mg, 0.01-1% of said transition metals and the balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities; compacting the thus obtained powder mixture into a green compact; and sintering said green compact to obtain a sintered aluminum alloy which consists of, in terms of weight, 2.4-23.5% Si, 2-5% Cu, 0.2-1.5% Mg, 0.01-1% of said transition metals and the balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities; and which has a dapple grain structure of an Al solid solution phase having Si, Cu, Mg and said transition metal diffused therein and an Al-Si alloy phase containing dispersed pro-eutectic Si crystals having a maximum diameter of 5-60 μm, and the area of said Al solid solution phase is 21 to 80 percent in the cross-section of said dapple grain structure.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 55 words

The method for producing a wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pro-eutectic Si crystals contained in said Al-Si alloy phase in said sintered aluminum alloy are grown up to 5-60 μm in the maximum diameter by heating the whole body of said sintered aluminum alloy, which is followed by cooling.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 60 words

The method for producing a wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pro-eutectic Si crystals in said Al-Si alloy contained in the vicinity of the surface of said sintered aluminum alloy are grown up to 5-60 μm in the maximum diameter by heating the external surface of said sintered aluminum alloy, which is followed by cooling.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method for producing a wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy as claimed in claim 7, wherein said heating of the surface of said sintered aluminum alloy is carried out by high-frequency heating, plasma heating or laser beam heating.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-08-13	2000-02-12	2000-08-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-08-13	2004-02-12	2004-08-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-08-13	2008-02-12	2008-08-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Wear-resistant sintered aluminum alloy and method for producing the same

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