Abstract: An aluminium alloy comprising lithium with improved mechanical strength and toughness. The invention relates to a 2XXX wrought alloy product comprising from 0.05 to 1.9% by weight of Li and from 0.005 to 0.045% by weight of Cr and/or of V. The invention also relates to an as-cast 2XXX alloy product comprising from 0.05 to 1.9% by weight of Li and from 0.005 to 0.045% by weight of Cr and/or of V. Finally, the invention relates to an aircraft structure element, preferably a lower surface or upper surface element, the skin and stiffeners of which originate from the same starting material, a spar or a rib, comprising a wrought product.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rolled product made of aluminum alloy with a thickness of at least 50 mm comprising (in weight %): Zn 6.9-7.5; Mg 1.8-2.2; Cu 1.8-2.2, where the sum Cu+Mg is between 3.8 and 4.2; Zr 0.04-0.14; Mn 0-0.1; Ti 0-0.15; V 0-0.1; Fe ?0.15; If ?0.15; impurities ?0.05 each and ?0.15 total, balance aluminum. The invention also relates to the method of manufacturing such a product. The products according to the invention are particularly advantageous because they have a very favorable compromise between static mechanical strength, toughness and environmental-assisted cracking performance under conditions of high stress and humid environment.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for manufacturing a thin sheet made of aluminium-based alloy comprising, in percent by weight, 2.3 to 2.7% Cu, 1.3 to 1.6% Li, 0.2 to 0.5% Mg, 0.1 to 0.5% Mn, 0.01 to 0.15% Ti, a quantity of Zn less than 0.3, a quantity of Fe and of Si less than or equal to 0.1% each, and unavoidable impurities at a content less than or equal to 0.05% by weight each and 0.15% by weight in total, wherein, in particular, the hot-rolling input temperature is between 400° C. and 445° C. and the hot-rolling output temperature is less than 300° C. The sheets according to the invention have advantageous mechanical properties and are used, in particular, for the manufacture of aircraft fuselage panels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to plates with a thickness of between 8 and 50 mm and made from aluminum alloy with a composition, as % by weight, Si: 0.7-1.3; Mg: 0.6-1.2; Mn: 0.65-1.0; Fe: 0.05-0.35; at least one element selected from Cr: 0.1-0.3 and Zr: 0.06-0.15; Ti<0.15; Cu<0.4; Zn<0.1; other elements <0.05 each and <0.15 in total, the remainder aluminum, and the method for manufacturing same. The plates according to the invention are particularly useful as precision plates, in particular for producing elements of machines, for example assembly or inspection equipment. The plates according to the invention have improved dimensional stability in particular during the machining steps, while having sufficient static mechanical properties, and excellent suitability for anodizing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an aluminum alloy for the manufacture of thick blocks comprising (as a percentage by weight), Zn: 5.3-5.9%, Mg: 0.8-1.8%, Cu: <0.2%, Zr: 0.05 to 0.12%, Ti<0.15%, Mn<0.1%, Cr<0.1%, Si<0.15%, Fe<0.20%, impurities having an individual content of <0.05% each and <0.15% in total, the rest aluminum. The alloy may be used in a process comprising the steps of: (a) casting a thick block of an alloy according to the invention (b) solution heat treating said cast block at a temperature of 500 to 560° C. for 10 minutes to 20 hours, (c) cooling said solution heat treated block to a temperature below 100° C., (d) tempering said solution heat treated and cooled block by heating to 120 to 170° C. for 4 to 48 hours, In this process, said block is not subjected to any significant deformation by working between the casting and the tempering.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a bimetallic part by means of a first component formed by a first aluminum alloy and a second component formed by a second aluminum alloy, said process involving: assembling the first component and the second component to obtain an assembled part; applying a thermal treatment to the assembled part at a temperature of 100 to 250° C., the thermal treatment causing the assembled part to deform, in particular as a result of a metallurgical deformation by a precipitation of hardening phases of the first component and/or the second component; cooling the part to ambient temperature, upon which the part remains deformed. The process involves, prior to the assembling step, an estimation of the degree of deformation that the assembled part will undergo under the effect of the thermal treatment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sheet metal plate (10) for creating flooring (30), in particular for industrial vehicles, having on its upper surface (11) a plurality or raised patterns, each raised pattern comprising one or more protruding portions (20), the raised patterns being arranged periodically, discreetly and in orderly fashion, the height h of the raised patterns being between 0.3 and 3 mm, characterized in that the plate has, on its lower surface (12), which is intended to be bonded to a support member, a rough surface the roughness Rmax of which is between 10 ?m and 250 ?m. The invention also relates to the method of producing said plate and the use of said sheet metal plate for creating flooring for industrial vehicles, preferably flooring for refrigerated vehicles.

Abstract: The invention relates to a scrap remelting line comprising at least one storage silo configured to store scrap, at least two induction furnaces for remelting the scrap and obtaining the remelted liquid metal, a means for supplying the scrap to the at least two induction furnaces, at least one furnace receiving the liquid metal (6), and a means for transporting the remelted liquid metal (5, 15) to the receiving furnace. The invention also relates to the method for obtaining liquid metal from scrap remelted in induction furnaces.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for melting an aluminum load, comprising: supplying an aluminum load (11, 12, 13) of which at least 15% by weight is in the form of a sow of essentially cylindrical shape (11) of height h and maximum diameter d; loading said load into a cylindrical induction furnace (10) of height H and maximum internal diameter D in which the height direction of said sow is substantially parallel to the height direction of the furnace; melting said load by induction to obtain a liquid metal bath (2); optionally adjusting content of said liquid metal in which d is in the range from 0.7 D to 0.97 D and preferably in the range from 0.84 D to 0.92 D.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for re-melting coated aluminum alloy scrap comprising a step of supplying shredded coated aluminum alloy scrap, consisting of individual entities; a decoating step, a step of preparing a heel, a step of loading and melting the decoated scrap on the heel. The invention is characterized in that the scrap has a specific geometry wherein at least 50% of the individual entities of the shredded coated scrap has a fold ratio (R) of less than or equal to 0.6, wherein the fold ratio (R) of an individual entity is defined by: fold ratio=R=(unfolded area?folded area)/(unfolded area), wherein the folded area is the maximum area of the orthogonal projection of the individual entity onto a plane and the unfolded area is the total area of the same individual entity after it has been unfolded.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a laminated or forged material, the thickness of which is 14 to 100 mm. The materials according to the invention are particularly suitable for manufacturing airplane underwing elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thin metal sheet which is made of an alloy based on substantially recrystallized aluminum and which has a thickness of 0.25 to 12 mm, the alloy comprising, in percent by weight, Cu 3.4-4.0; Mg 0.5-0.8; Mn 0.1-0.7; Fe #0.15; Si #0.15; Zr #0.04; Ag #0.65; Zn #0.5; inevitable impurities #0.05 each and #0.15 in total, the remainder consisting of aluminum. The invention also relates to a process for manufacturing such a metal sheet and to the use thereof as a fuselage panel or sheet metal for the production of composite products such as fiber metal laminates (FML) for wing or fuselage applications in the aeronautical industry.

Abstract: The invention involves a method for testing a damage tolerance property in an aluminum alloy part with the following steps: measure at least one property representative of a the part's tensile strength; use the property measured in step a) as input datum (xi) of a neural network estimator; estimate, using the estimator, the representative property of the part's tensile strength; the method being characterized in that it includes: consideration of an acceptance threshold and comparison of the property estimated at step c) to the acceptance threshold, taking into account a confidence interval; based on the comparison: consider that the part passes the test; or consider that the part does not pass the test.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy sheet, wherein an aluminum alloy is prepared with the following composition, in wt %: Mg: 4.0-5.2, Mn: 0.40-1.0, Zn: 0.15-0.40, at least one element selected from Ti, Cr, Cu and Zr, the content of the element, if selected, being 0.01-0.15 for Ti, 0.05-0.25 for Cr, 0.02-0.25 for Cu, 0.05-0.25 for Zr, Fe: <0.40, Si: <0.40, other elements or impurities <0.05 each and <0.15 in total, the remainder being aluminum. A rolling plate is cast by vertical semi-continuous casting, and said optionally homogenised plate is hot-rolled in two successive stages to obtain a sheet. The sheets obtained by the method according to the invention are advantageous, in particular for shipbuilding, since they demonstrate, after being exposed for 7 days to a temperature of 100° C., a weight loss of less than 15 mg/cm2 during a corrosion test according to the ASTM G67 standard.

Abstract: The invention concerns an extruded, rolled and/or forged aluminum-based alloy product having a thickness of at least 25 mm comprising (in weight %): Zn 6.70-7.40; Mg 1.50-1.80; Cu 2.20-2.60, with a Cu to Mg ratio of at least 1.30; Zr 0.04-0.14; Mn 0-0.5; Ti 0-0.15; V 0-0.15; Cr 0-0.25; Fe 0-0.15; Si 0-0.15; impurities ?0.05 each and ?0.15 total. The invention also concerns a method of making such a product. Products according to the invention are particularly advantageous because they exhibit simultaneously a low sensitivity to environmentally assisted cracking under conditions of high stress and humid environment, high strength and high toughness properties.

Abstract: Liquid metal degassing device comprising a chamber containing a liquid metal bath, a device for circulating a gas through a purification chamber and in that the purification chamber comprises a getter material configured to trap dihydrogen from the circulating gas. Method for degassing a liquid metal bath to reduce the hydrogen concentration of the liquid metal comprising the following steps a) Preparing a liquid metal bath, preferably an aluminum alloy b) Circulating a gas, c) Exchanging hydrogen from the circulating gas with the liquid metal such that the hydrogen dissolved in the liquid metal bath diffuses into the circulating gas and enriches the circulating gas with dihydrogen, d) Purifying the circulating gas enriched with dihydrogen in a purification chamber comprising a getter material configured to trap dihydrogen from the circulating gas.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a process for manufacturing a wrought product made of aluminum alloy comprising the following steps: a) casting a plate made of alloy comprising, in percentages by weight, Cu: 2.1 to 2.8; Li: 1.1 to 1.7; Mg: 0.2 to 0.9; Mn: 0.2 to 0.6; Ti: 0.01-0.2; Ag<0.1; Zr<0.08; Fe and Si #0.1 each; unavoidable impurities #0.05% each and 0.15% in total; remainder aluminum; b) homogenizing said plate at 480-520° C. for 5 to 60 hours; c) hot-rolling and optionally cold-rolling said homogenized plate to give a sheet; d) solution annealing the sheet at 470-520° C. for 5 minutes to 4 hours; e) quenching the solution-annealed sheet; f) controlled tensioning of the solution-annealed and quenched sheet with a permanent set of 1 to 6%; g) tempering of the tensioned sheet by heating at a temperature of at least 160° C. for a maximum time of 30 hours.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process to manufacture a flat-rolled product, notably for the aeronautic industry containing aluminum alloy, in which, notably a flattening and/or stretching is performed with a cumulated deformation of at least 0.5% and less than 3%, and a short heat-treatment is performed in which the sheet reaches a temperature between 130° C. and 170° C. for a period of 0.1 to 13 hours. The invention notably makes it possible to simplify the forming process of fuselage skins and to improve the balance between static mechanical strength properties and damage tolerance properties.

Abstract: The invention relates to a product made of an aluminium-based alloy comprising, by wt. %, Cu: 2.4-3.2; Li: 1.6-2.3; Mg: 0.3-0.9; Mn: 0.2-0.6; Zr: 0.12-0.18; such that Zr??0.06 *Li+0.242; Zn: <1.0; Ag: <0.15; Fe+Si?0.20; optionally, at least one element selected from Ti, Sc, Cr, Hf and V, the content of the element, if selected, being: Ti: 0.01-0.1; Sc: 0.01-0.15; Cr: 0.01-0.3; Hf: 0.01-0.5; V: 0.01-0.3; other elements ?0.05 each and ?0.15 in total; the remainder being aluminium.

Abstract: The invention is a method for treating a solid substrate, made from a first material, of metal or ceramic type, the method comprising placing the substrate in contact with a liquid metal, while the substrate is exposed to an ultrasonic wave called a power wave. At the level of a surface of the substrate, the power density is greater than a cavitation threshold of the liquid metal. Such exposure improves the wettability of the substrate surface by the liquid metal.