Abstract: A scrap submergence device for mixing molten metal in a furnace may include an upper structure, a shaft extending down from the upper structure, and an impeller at a lower end of the shaft. The impeller may include a plurality of blades and a plate. Each of the plurality of blades may have a blade height and a blade radius. A ratio of a blade height to a blade radius may be approximately 0.3 to approximately 1.

Abstract: Systems and associated methods are provided for controlling the shape of an ingot head during formation. At the end of a cast, prior to forming the ingot head, chill bars or other cooling structure may be lowered into an ingot mold and define a reduced casting footprint for forming the ingot head. Supplemental molten metal may be fed into the reduced casting footprint, and the chill bars may be moved laterally towards the center of the ingot, further reducing the casting footprint. As additional molten metal fills the reduced mold footprint, the ingot may be lowered relative to the chill bars to further increase the height of the ingot head. Additional molten metal may be added until the desired shape of the ingot head is formed.

Abstract: Described are substrates including a layer of an aluminum alloy with a conductive coating, also referred to as a protective overlayer. The conductive coating can prevent certain material from coming into contact with the aluminum alloy layer while allowing transmission of electrons to the aluminum alloy. The substrates may be used, for example, in electronics applications, such as current collectors or electrodes for batteries, electrochemical cells, capacitors, supercapacitors, or the like.

Abstract: Described are aluminum alloy products that generally have a microstructure and composition that resists corrosion. This corrosion resistance, in turn, allows the aluminum alloy products to exhibit favorable bond durability performance, such as when adhesively bonded to another product. The corrosion resistance can be achieved by controlling the composition of the aluminum alloy, including the presence and/or concentration of certain intermetallic particles, such as ?-phase intermetallic particles and ?-phase intermetallic particles.

Abstract: A burner for a metal-melting furnace can releasably receive a tapered plug in sealing engagement with an access passage aligned with an air passage. The burner may be configured to extend through a wall of the metal-melting furnace so that the air passage is through a front face within the furnace and so that the access passage is through a rear face outside of the furnace. The access passage may be aligned with the air passage to permit a rigid structure to be passed through the burner from outside the furnace to dislodge build-up of solidified metal from the air passage. The tapered plug may be moveable between a sealing configuration of being received in a seat to seal the access passage during burner operation and a cleaning configuration of being removed from the seat to expose the access passage for insertion of the rigid structure.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and systems for electrolytic processing of metallic substrates, such as aluminum alloys. The disclosure provides methods of making an anodized substrate by anodizing a metallic substrate in an electrolyte solution comprising phosphoric acid. In particular, the disclosure describes various conditions for anodizing the metallic substrate, including temperature, acid concentration, and voltage. The disclosure also provides systems for carrying out described methods.

Abstract: Aluminum alloy products having a bulk and a micro-grained subsurface structure are described. The aluminum alloy products may exhibit superior bonding character and may comprise or have a silicon-containing layer thereon. The bulk may include a matrix including grains of an aluminum alloy and may comprise aluminum and one or more alloying elements such as zinc, magnesium, copper, chromium, silicon, iron, or manganese. The micro-grained subsurface structure may be substantially devoid of one or more defects (e.g., voids, transfer cracks, or fissures) or organics, oils, hydrocarbons, soils, inorganic residues, rolled-in oxides, or anodic oxides, which may commonly be present in rolled near-surface microstructures. The micro-grained subsurface structure may include or have thereon a first oxide layer having a thickness of from 1 nm to 20 nm. Methods of making aluminum alloy products are also described.

Abstract: Described are aluminum alloy products and methods of making aluminum alloy products in which the aluminum alloy products have carefully controlled intermetallic particle density and particle size. Such aluminum alloy products may exhibit favorable formability. Control over intermetallic particle size and density may allow for use of high amounts of recycled source content in aluminum alloy products.

Abstract: Described are methods of treating surfaces of metal alloy substrates and associated metal alloy products. The methods may include providing an aluminum alloy product having a bulk and a surface and scanning abeam of high energy across the surface. The method may further include applying a liquid layer onto the surface prior to scanning a beam of high energy. The beam of high energy may interact with the surface and/or the liquid layer to form a treated surface. The beam of high energy may interact with the surface and/or the liquid layer to physically modify the at least a portion of the aluminum alloy product to form a treated sub-surface layer.

Abstract: Disclosed are adjustable kiln flights for rotary kilns and associated methods. The kiln flight includes a base configured to be secured to a rotary kiln surface of a rotary kiln. In some aspects, the kiln flight includes a flight body rotatably supported on the base such that an angular orientation of the flight body is adjustable. In various examples, the kiln flight includes a height adjuster movably supported relative to the base such that a height of the kiln flight is adjustable. A method of controlling a rotary kiln with the adjustable kiln flight includes supporting a kiln flight on a base that is secured to an inner kiln surface of a rotary kiln, and adjusting at least one of the angular orientation of the kiln flight or the height of the kiln flight.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for improving the grain structure of a metal product by applying ultrasonic energy to a continuously cast metal product at a position downstream from the casting region and allowing the ultrasonic energy to propagate through the metal product to the solidification region. At the solidification region, the ultrasonic energy can interact with the growing metal grains, such as to deagglomerate and disperse nucleating particles and to disrupt and fragment dendrites as they grow, which can promote additional nucleation and result in smaller grain sizes.

Abstract: A continuous casting and rolling line for casting, rolling, and otherwise preparing metal strip can produce distributable metal strip without requiring cold rolling or the use of a solution heat treatment line. A metal strip can be continuously cast from a continuous casting device and coiled into a metal coil, optionally after being subjected to post-casting quenching. This intermediate coil can be stored until ready for hot rolling. The as-cast metal strip can undergo reheating prior to hot rolling, either during coil storage or immediately prior to hot rolling. The heated metal strip can be cooled to a rolling temperature and hot rolled through one or more roll stands. The rolled metal strip can optionally be reheated and quenched prior to coiling for delivery. This final coiled metal strip can be of the desired gauge and have the desired physical characteristics for distribution to a manufacturing facility.

Abstract: A cooling system for the decoating system includes a sensor, a control device, and a controller communicatively coupled with the sensor and the control device. The sensor is configured to measure a characteristic of the cooling system in the decoating system, the control device controls the characteristic of the cooling system, and the controller is configured to adjust the control device to adjust the characteristic of the cooling system based on at least one of a measured temperature within the decoating system or the measured characteristic. A method of controlling a temperature of the decoating system includes measuring a temperature within a piece of equipment of the decoating system and measuring a characteristic the cooling system in the piece of equipment of the decoating system. The method includes controlling the cooling system to adjust the characteristic based on at least one of the measured temperature or the measured characteristic.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Systems and methods directed to rolling mill coilers are disclosed. Systems and methods are disclosed for a control scheme to maintain a constant force between a roll and a coil's surface. Example systems and methods may include forming a portion of a coil, capturing a first coil data corresponding to force of the coil while the strip of metal is being rolled into the coil, capturing second coil data corresponding to position of the coil while the strip of metal is being rolled into the coil, determining a signal that corresponds to a roll force of the roll and a position of the protrusion, and transmitting the signal to a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the roll, the hydraulic cylinder causing the roll to exert the roll force counter to the radial force of the coil.

Abstract: This application discloses aluminum alloy products, such as can body stock and can end stock, that have improved processing qualities in high-speed production equipment due to engineered surfaces. For can body stock, processing is improved by providing at least two different surface roughnesses. For can end stock, processing is improved by reducing anisotropy at least at the top and bottom surfaces of the can end stock.

Abstract: Disclosed are magnetic rotors systems and methods for heating a substrate. The magnetic rotor includes a rotor body and at least one magnet supported on the rotor body. The rotor body is rotatable about an axis. The rotor body also defines a chamber that selectively receives a coolant within the chamber.

Abstract: Described are processes for shaping age hardenable aluminum alloys, such as 2XXX, 6XXX and 7XXX aluminum alloys in T4 temper, or articles made of such alloys, including aluminum alloy sheets. The processes involve heating the sheet or article before and/or concurrently with a forming step. In some examples, the sheet is heated to a specified temperature in the range of about 100-600° C. at a specified heating rate within the range of about 3-600° C./s, for example about 3-90° C./s. Such a combination of temperature and heating rate results in an advantageous combination of sheet properties.

Abstract: Process control of intense stirring along a solidification front and adjustments in casting speeds during direct chill casting of 7xxx series alloys can decrease an ingot’s cracking susceptibility. Intense stirring control is used to reduce the thickness of the solidification front, promote agglomeration of hydrogen gas rejected at the solidification front, remove impurities rejected at the solidification front, and improve grain size. Intense stirring control is used to operate at faster casting speeds without risk of increasing the thickness of the solidification front. Optional reheating during casting to promote dispersoid formation is used to generate a high-strength zone of dispersoid-strengthened solidified metal in the outer periphery of the ingot, which can further decrease the ingot’s susceptibility to cracking.

Abstract: A burner for a metal-melting furnace can releasably receive a tapered plug in sealing engagement with an access passage aligned with an air passage. The burner may be configured to extend through a wall of the metal-melting furnace so that the air passage is through a front face within the furnace and so that the access passage is through a rear face outside of the furnace. The access passage may be aligned with the air passage to permit a rigid structure to be passed through the burner from outside the furnace to dislodge build-up of solidified metal from the air passage. The tapered plug may be moveable between a sealing configuration of being received in a seat to seal the access passage during burner operation and a cleaning configuration of being removed from the seat to expose the access passage for insertion of the rigid structure.