Tier 1 supplier Federal-Mogul has revealed it has developed a new aluminum alloy for its diesel pistons, which it calls DuraForm-G91.
The company says the new alloy provides between three and five times the component life of established as-cast materials. During isothermal high cycle mechanical fatigue testing at temperatures above 350°C, the improvement was even more pronounced, at over eight times the life.
The increased strength of the new material also supports higher mechanical loads, allowing engines to operate more efficiently, at higher specific power and more efficiently. The enhanced alloy properties facilitate piston designs with a lower compression height and reduced mass, which when combined with lighter cylinder blocks results in reduced CO2 emissions.
Federal-Mogul CTO Gian Maria Olivetti said, “This is an example of the enabling technologies developed by Federal-Mogul Powertrain that help our customers to make each new engine generation more compact, lighter and with a smaller carbon footprint than its predecessor. With our materials scientists at the technological forefront of the industry, we are committed to developing advanced new concepts for both aluminum and steel-based pistons for diesel vehicles, offering perfect-fit solutions for the various needs of our customers.”
DuraForm-G91’s composition delivers increased fatigue strength, particularly in the high temperature range typically associated with highly loaded diesel pistons. “The improved silicon and intermetallic morphology provides a microstructure with increased resistance to complex thermomechanical loading, while maintaining the required thermo-physical properties, such as expansion, density and thermal conductivity,” explains Dr Frank T H Dornenburg, director of technology, global pistons, at Federal-Mogul.
August 26, 2015