METHODS OF PREPARING ALUMINUM ALLOYS WITH IMPROVED FORMABILITY AND SURFACE QUALITY

摘要

Described herein are methods of preparing aluminum alloys exhibiting good surface appearance and high formability, while maintaining superior mechanical properties. Aluminum alloys produced from the methods described herein have a desirable microstructure that limits plastic anisotropy for improved formability. In some examples, the method of preparing the aluminum alloy sheet provides temperature, timing, and percent reduction control for the hot rolling step and the cold rolling step to produce a desirable crystallographie texture in the microslruclure of the aluminum alloy. Specifically, the hot rolling exit temperature of the aluminum alloy is above the recrystallization temperature of the aluminum alloy, and the cold rolling step results in about an 83% or greater reduction in gauge thickness to produce a desirable crystallographic texture in the microstructure of the aluminum alloy.