Abstract for CRADA between the National Energy Technology Laboratory and General Motors (AGMT-0876)
- National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
- General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)
Lightweight aluminum shape castings have widespread applications for structural components in the automotive, aerospace, and general engineering industries because of their excellent castability, corrosion resistance, and particularly high strength-to-weight ratio in the heat-treated condition. In the automotive industry, cast aluminum alloys have been increasingly used to replace cast iron and steel in vehicle applications such as engine blocks, cylinder heads, intake manifolds, brackets, housings, chassis, transmission parts, and suspension systems to reduce mass. As many of the aluminum shape castings used in automobiles involve cyclic loading, fatigue properties of the castings are critical to their success. The increasing use of lightweight aluminum cast components in critical structures thus requires improved integrity, with more reliable and quantifiable performance. The objective of this project is to demonstrate and further develop GM’s patent-pending, novel casting process, “Pressure-Assistant Precision Sand Casting (PAPSC) for producing flawless cast aluminum cylinder heads with minimum manufacturing and energy costs”. The approach is to leverage NETL’s experience in producing high-quality metal castings through various microstructure control and defect elimination technologies as well as comprehensive quantification of microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties. A baseline (production) alloy together with the melt treatment will be initially evaluated with the new PAPSC process to develop and validate the process window for producing flawless cast aluminum heads.
- Research Organization:
- National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States); General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
- OSTI ID:
- 1606203
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-NETL-AGMT-0876
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Materials for Advanced Ultrasupercritical Steam Turbines Task 4: Cast Superalloy Development
Solidification, growth mechanisms, and associated properties of Al-Si and magnesium lightweight casting alloys