SBIR Phase I: Reinforcement of Lightweight Material Castings with Dissimilar Metals

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在推进金属铸造行业的铸造技术，以生产轻质金属复合铸件。铸贴法是一种用于用不同金属增强铸件的成本有效的方法，但存在缺陷形成，例如在铸件/增强界面处的脱粘、氧化和孔隙。该项目结合了浇注法和最新的高强度超声波处理的优点。在镶铸工艺中使用高强度超声波振动技术可分离镶块表面的氧化物和气泡，将其驱离增强件/铸件界面，并增强铸件与增强件金属的冶金相互作用。此外，铸件中与粘结剂相邻的晶粒尺寸显著减小。因此，在增强嵌件和铸件之间产生了牢固且无缺陷的冶金结合。该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将成为铸造工艺的突破性技术，并将提高美国金属铸造、汽车和国防工业在全球市场的竞争力，保留或创造新的就业机会。该技术可用于增强铝铸件、镁铸件或其他轻质材料铸件，以取代汽车、航空和国防应用中的重金属部件，从而显著节省能源、成本并改善排放控制。美国运输业继续关注增加使用轻质合金以减轻重量和节约能源。根据美国汽车材料伙伴关系（USAMP）的数据，由于使用轻质部件，重量减少15%，燃油效率至少提高10%。减少10%的燃料消耗，每年可使美国的汽油消耗量减少100亿加仑。这将转化为1,150万亿英热单位/年的能源节约，二氧化碳排放量减少2000亿磅/年，并以目前2.50美元/加仑的油价节省250亿美元/年的成本。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to advance the cast-on technology for the metal casting industry to produce lightweight metal composite castings. Cast-on method is a cost effective method for the reinforcement of casting with dissimilar metals but suffers from defect formation such as de-bond, oxidation, and porosity at the casting/reinforcement interface. The project combines the merits of the cast-on method and the latest high-intensity ultrasonic processing. The use of high-intensity ultrasonic vibration technique in the cast-on process detaches oxides and bubbles at the surfaces of the insert, drives them away from the reinforcement/casting interface, and enhances the metallurgical interaction of the castings with the reinforcement metal. Furthermore, the grain size in the casting adjacent to the bond is reduced significantly. As a result, a strong and defect-free metallurgical bond is produced between the reinforcement insert and the casting.The boarder impact/commercial potential of this project will be a breakthrough technology for the cast-on process and will increase the competitiveness of the U.S. metal casting, automotive, and defense industries in the global market, retaining or creating new jobs. This technology can be used to reinforce aluminum castings, magnesium castings, or castings of other lightweight materials for replacing heavy metal components for automotive, aviation, and defense applications, leading to significant energy savings, cost savings, and improved emission control. The U.S. transportation industry continues to focus on the increased use of lightweight alloys for weight reduction and energy savings. According to the data from the United States Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP), a 15% weight reduction due to the use of lightweight components improves fuel efficiency by at least 10%. Decreasing fuel consumption by 10% reduces gasoline consumption in the United States by 10 billion gallons per year. This would translate into energy savings of 1,150 trillion Btu/year, a reduction of CO2 emissions by 200 billion lbs/year, and cost savings of $25 billion/year at current pump prices of $2.50/gallon.