Abstract: Aluminum base alloys characterized by low density, high elastic modulus and high strength and having a composition consisting esentially of aluminum--about 0.5 to about 4.3 weight percent lithium--about 0.02 to about 20 weight percent beryllium.

Abstract: A method for enhancing the mechanical properties of cast beryllium and beryllium alloy bodies by reducing beryllium grain size. More particularly, grain size is reduced by forming a metal beryllide phase that is soluble in molten beryllium but of limited solubility in the solid metal. Initially, molten beryllium is cast into a mold and solidified resulting in precipitation of the metal beryllide in the form of finely divided particles at the beryllium grain boundaries. The cast body is then mechanically worked below its recrystallization temperature to form an unstable, deformed microstructure which is converted to a fine grain microstructure during a subsequent anneal above the recrystallization temperature of the beryllium or beryllium alloy body. The anneal can be a separate operation or a continuation of the plastic deformation operation.

Abstract: A method for enhancing the mechanical properties of beryllium and beryllium alloy bodies by deforming and recrystalizing cast and hot pressed beryllium bodies to a finer grain microstructure than initially present in the bodies without introducing a pronounced crystallographic texture into the bodies. More particularly, the beryllium body undergoes a textureless forging process by which the body is plastically deformed at elevated temperatures with the resulting metal flow being restricted to only one axis of the body. The deformed body is then restored to essentially its original shape and annealed at its recrystalization temperature with a resulting refinement in grain size to a size smaller than that present in the initial body.