Material and welding process of aluminum alloy tank body
Published by Yinsheung Aluminum, 24th Aug, 2023.
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Aluminum alloy tank cars are an inevitable trend in the development of China's tank car market.
Lightweight specialized vehicles are a requirement of China's automotive industry in the construction of a new form of socialism with Chinese characteristics, an important component of building a harmonious society, and a necessary path to promote the rapid, sustainable, and healthy development of commercial vehicles in China.
Automobile lightweighting can greatly enhance economic efficiency, improve driving safety, reduce gasoline consumption, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, automobile lightweighting is a trend in the development of the automotive industry in China.
In Europe and North America, aluminum alloys are widely used in the automotive industry, especially for heavy-duty and specialized vehicles, in order to achieve lightweight automotive production. Alcoa has developed a variety of aluminum alloy materials for use in van trucks, semi trailers, dump trucks, tank trucks, and other vehicle models. The widespread use of aluminum alloy materials in commercial vehicles is in line with the trend of lightweight automotive technology. It is also driving the automotive industry to a higher level. The widespread application of aluminum alloys in commercial vehicles, especially in tank cars, has accelerated the advancement of commercial vehicles in Europe and North America. Except for a few special chemical items transported, almost all tank bodies in Europe and America are made of aluminum alloy, with a market share of over 90%. Therefore, this article will focus on the application of aluminum alloy materials in tank cars.
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Why choose aluminum alloy as the material for tank cars?
In the traditional concept, aluminum alloy is relatively light, but relatively soft and has low strength. In fact, this is a misconception. The application of aluminum alloy in transportation began more than 100 years ago. As early as 1903, the White brothers invented the engine of the first aircraft using aluminum alloy material, which was used in transportation vehicles such as space shuttles, ships, cars, trains, and so on. Compared to steel and other alloys, aluminum alloys have the following advantages:
(1)Lightweight
Aluminum has a low density of only 2.7g/cm3, and aluminum alloys of the same volume are almost one-third the weight of steel. The application of aluminum alloy on tank cars greatly reduces their self weight. For example, a 45m3 tank car made of aluminum alloy can reduce its own weight by 5T compared to steel.
(2)Strong corrosion resistance
Aluminum alloy has unparalleled corrosion resistance compared to steel. Tank bodies made of aluminum alloy can transport various liquids or liquefied gases without the need for any protective layer inside. This is also why international oil giants such as BP and SHELL force the use of aluminum alloy tanks for transporting oil, as aluminum alloy tanks have excellent corrosion resistance, ensuring cleaner oil products.
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(3)Good processability
Aluminum, as the third most abundant element in the earth's crust, has a very rich reserve (8.23%). Aluminum alloy is also the second most widely used metal besides steel, and the processing technology is already very mature. Welding methods such as MIG, TIG, resistance welding, FSW, etc. can all be used to weld aluminum alloys. At the same time, aluminum alloys can also be bent, stamped, and deep drawn.
