Development and characterization of lightweight alloys for next-generation automotive engines

目前汽车用铝合金发展的动力主要是由于政府立法要求汽车制造商显著提高新车的燃油效率。铝合金比铁合金轻约65%，因此在许多汽车应用中具有巨大的潜力。业内轻量化的另一个重点是开发先进的、低排量、高功率密度的发动机。这一趋势经常要求动力总成部件的工作温度和压力更高，因此使许多目前使用的合金不适合其各自的应用，例如，由于强度不足。这两种趋势都导致了对更高性能合金的需求，并需要开发和测试新的合金化系统。

The current impetus in aluminum alloy development for automotive applications has been mainly due to government legislation requiring automotive manufactures to significantly improve fuel efficiency of new vehicles. Aluminum alloys are ~65% lighter than ferrous alloys, and therefore have a great potential to be used in many automotive applications. Another focus of lightweighting in the industry is to develop advanced, low-displacement, high power density engines. This trend frequently demands increased operating temperatures and pressures for powertrain components, therefore making many currently used alloys unfit for their respective applications due to, for example, insufficient strength. Both trends lead to demand for higher-performing alloys and the need to develop and test new alloying systems.