(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization

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1 (12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization I International Bureau (10) International Publication Number (43) International Publication Date WO 2013/ A3 2 1 November 2013 ( ) P O P C T (51) International Patent Classification: (71) Applicant: ALCOA INC. [US/US]; Alcoa Corporate Cen C22C 21/00 ( ) B22D 21/04 ( ) ter, 201 Isabella Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (21) International Application Number: 5858 (US). PCT/US2013/ (72) Inventors: KAMAT, Rajeev; 5124 Cypress Drive, Murrysville, Pennsylvania (US). NEWMAN, John M.; (22) International Filing Date: 5937 Graybrooke Drive, Export, Pennsylvania (US). 27 February 2013 ( ) SAWTELL, Ralph R.; 466 Four Lakes Drive, Gibsonia, (25) Filing Language: English Pennsylvania (US). LIN, Jen C ; 1001 Alton Court, (26) Publication Language: English Export, Pennsylvania (US). BOYSEL, Darl G.; 1061 Manor Vue Drive, Delmont, Pennsylvania (30) Priority Data: (US). BRAY, Gary H.; 3816 Buckingham Court, Murrys- 61/608,075 7 March 2012 ( ) US ville, Pennsylvania (US). BRYANT, James Daniel; 5089 Cypress Drive, Murrysville, Pennsylvania (US). CONNER, Brett P.; 4717 Pembroke Court, Allison Park, Pennsylvania (US). GRECO, Mario; 104 (54) Title: IMPROVED ALUMINUM-LITHIUM ALLOYS, AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME [Continued on nextpage] Prepare Aluminum Alloy Body For Post- Solution izing Cold Work 100 (57) Abstract: New Al-Li alloy bodies and methods of producing the same are dis - closed. The new Al-Li alloy bodies may be produced by preparing the aluminum alloy body for post-solutionizing cold work, cold working by at least 25%, and then thermally treating. The new Al-Li alloy bodies may realize improved strength and other properties. Cold Wor k Aluminum Alloy Body 200 Therm ally Treat Aluminum Alloy Body 300 < Option a l Final Treatmentis) FIG. 2a

2 w o 2013/ A3 1I III IIII IIII I1 IIII 11III llll II il III II Snowberry Lane, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania (US). (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every IASELLA, Gino Norman; 1216 Applewood Drive, Gib kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, sonia, Pennsylvania (US). MCNEISH, David J.; GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, 28 Saddlebrook Drive, Greensburg, Pennsylvania UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, (US). MURTHA, Shawn J.; 119 Aquillin Court, Irwin, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, Pennsylvania (US). RIOJA, Roberto J.; 4885 EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, ΓΓ, LT, LU, Bulltown Road, Murrysville, Pennsylvania (US). LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SULLIVAN, Shawn P.; 622 6th Street, Oakmont, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, Pennsylvania (US). GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). (74) Agents: BRIGGS, Heath J. et al; Greenberg Traurig, Declarations under Rule 4.17: LLP, c/o Alcoa Technical Center, 100 Technical Drive, as to applicant's entitlement to apply for and be granted Alcoa Center, Pennsylvania (US). a patent (Rule 4.1 7(H)) (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every as to the applicant's entitlement to claim the priority of kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, the earlier application (Rule 4.1?'(in)) AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, Published: DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, with international search report (Art. 21(3)) GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KM, KN, KP, KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LY, MA, before the expiration of the time limit for amending the MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, claims and to be republished in the event of receipt of NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, amendments (Rule 48.2(h)) RU, RW, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, (88) Date of publication of the international search report: TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, 20 February 2014 ZA, ZM, ZW.

3 A. CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECT MATTER C22C 21/00( )i, B22D 21/04( )i According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPC B. FIELDS SEARCHED Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols) C22C 21/00; C22F 1/053; C22F 1/04; B22D 11/10; C22C 21/10; B22D 11/06; C22F 21/12; B22D 21/04 Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched Korean utility models and applications for utility models Japanese utility models and applications for utility models Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, search terms used) ekompass(kipo internal) & keywords: aluminum alloy, lithium, solutionizing, cold work, and continuously casting DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Category Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No. JP B2 (MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND. LTD.) 13 December 1995 See column 4, lines 35-39, column 5, lines 2-46; and claims 1,2, WO A l (ALCOA INC.) 4 March See paragraphs [0042],[0050] ; and claims 1,3,6. K A (ALCOA INC.) 13 January See page 2, lines 9-34; and claims 1-4,9,31. US Al (RIOJA e t al.) 4 January See paragraphs [0064]-[0066]. JP A (SUMITOMO LIGHT METAL IND. LTD.) 23 June See paragraphs [0012],[0013] ; and claims 1-3. I IFurther documents are listed in the continuation of Box C. See patent family annex. * Special categories of cited documents: "T" later document published after the international filing date or priority "A" document defining the general state of the art which is not considered date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand to be of particular relevance the principle or theory underlying the invention "E" earlier application or patent but published on or after the international "X" document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be filing date considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive "L" document which may throw doubts on priority claim(s) or which is step when the document is taken alone cited to establish the publication date of another citation or other "Y" document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be special reason (as specified) considered to involve an inventive step when the document is "O" document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or other combined with one or more other such documents, such combination means being obvious to a person skilled in the art "P" document published prior to the international filing date but later "&" document member of the same patent family than the priority date claimed Date of the actual completion of the international search Date of mailing of the international search report 23 December 2013 ( ) 23 December 2013 ( ) Name and mailing address of the ISA/KR Authorized officer. Korean Intellectual Property Office -i Cheongsa-ro, Seo-gu, Daejeon Metropolitan City, SONG, Ho Keun.,, , Republic of Korea fl Facsimile No Telephone No Form PCT/IS 210 (second sheet) (July 2009)

4 Box No. II Observations where certain claims were found unsearchable (Continuation of item 2 of first sheet) This international search report has not been established in respect of certain claims under Article 17(2)(a) for the following 1. Claims Nos. : because they relate to subject matter not required to be searched by this Authority, namely: 1 Claims Nos. : 10,1 1 because they relate to parts of the international application that do not comply with the prescribed requirements to such an extent that no meaningful international search can be carried out, specifically : Claims 10,1 1 are unclear, because they refer to multiple dependent claims which do not comply with PCT Rule 6.4(a). IX IClaims Nos. : 6-9 because they are dependent claims and are not drafted in accordance with the second and third sentences of Rule 6.4(a). Box No. Ill Observations where unity of invention is lacking (Continuation of item 3 of first sheet) This International Searching Authority found multiple inventions in this international application, as follows: This ISA found multiple inventions in this application as follows: Group 1, claims 1-1 1, drawn to a method comprising a step of preparing an aluminum alloy sheet Group 2, claims 12-13, drawn to a method comprising a step of delivering molten aluminum metal Group 3, claims 14-17, drawn to an aluminum alloy sheet product comprising 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 4, claims 18-37, drawn to a monolithic aluminum alloy sheet or plate having 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 5, claims 38-71, and , drawn to a method comprising a step of preparing an aluminum alloy body Group 6, claims and , drawn to a method comprising a step of receiving an aluminum alloy body (Continued on the extra sheet) I IAs all required addtional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this international search report covers all searchable claims. I IAs all searchable claims could be searched without effort justifying an additional fees, this Authority did not invite payment of any additional fees. I IAs only some of the required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this international search report covers only those claims for which fees were paid, specifically claims Nos.: No required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant. Consequently, this international search report restricted to the invention first mentioned in the claims; it is covered by claims Nos.: Remark on Protest The additional search fees were accompanied by the applicant's protest and, where applicable, the payment of a protest fee. I IThe additional search fees were accompanied by the applicant's protest but the applicable protest fee was not paid within the time limit specified in the invitation. I INo protest accompanied the payment of additional search fees. Form PCT/ISA/210 (continuation of first sheet (2)) ( y 2009)

5 Information on patent family members PCT/US2013/ Patent document Publication Patent family Publication cited in search report date member(s) date JP B2 13/12/1995 None WO Al 04/03/2004 AU Al 11/03/2004 EP Al 29/06/2005 EP A4 05/04/2006 EP Bl 01/05/2013 JP A 02/12/2005 KR Bl 28/03/2012 KR A 16/06/2005 KR A 14/03/2011 R A 13/01/2004 AU A8 04/09/2002 EP A2 06/05/2004 EP Bl 13/05/2009 JP A 17/02/2005 JP B2 02/12/2009 US Al 24/10/2002 us Al 06/11/2003 us Al 21/06/2007 us B2 06/01/2004 us B2 24/10/2006 us B2 17/03/2009 wo A2 29/08/2002 wo A3 19/02/2004 US Al 04/01/2007 CA Al 12/12/2001 CA C 22/09/2009 DE Dl 27/05/2004 DE T2 31/03/2005 EP A2 09/01/2002 EP A3 20/03/2002 EP Bl 21/04/2004 JP A 19/02/2002 US Bl 13/05/2003 JP A 23/06/1998 JP B2 13/04/2005 Form PCT/ISA/210 (patent family annex) ( y 2009)

6 Continuation of: Box No. Ill Group 7, claims , drawn to an aluminum alloy outer component for a consumer electronic product Group 8, claims , drawn to a method comprising a step of receiving a rolled or forged aluminum alloy body having 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 9, claims , drawn to a monolithic aluminum alloy tubular product having 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 10, claims , drawn to a method comprising a step of receiving a rolled or forged aluminum alloy product Group 11, claims , drawn to an aluminum alloy armor component having 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 12, claims , drawn to an assembly comprising any of the aluminum alloy armor components Group 13, claims , drawn to a method comprising a step of casting an aluminum alloy body Group 14, claims , drawn to a method comprising a step of preparing an aluminum alloy rod having 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 15, claim 177, drawn to an aluminum alloy rod having 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 16, claims , drawn to an aluminum alloy fastener comprising 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 17, claims , drawn to a method comprising a step of receiving an aluminum alloy fastener Group 18, claims , drawn to a method for forming a wheel Group 19, claims , drawn to an aluminum alloy wheel comprising 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 20, claim 244, drawn to a method for forming a predetermined shaped product Group 21, claims , drawn to a method for producing a container Group 22, claim 268, drawn to an aluminum alloy container comprising 0.25 to 5.0 wt% lithium Group 23, claims , drawn to an aluminum alloy closure for an aluminum alloy container Group 24, claims , drawn to a method comprising a step of preparing an aluminum alloy strip Form PCT/ISA/210 (extra sheet) ( y 2009)