Powertrain Materials

This research activity groups projects that require the development of lighter–weight, higher temperature-resistant alloys for use in conventional engines and new advanced powerplants. The primary objective is to improve the creep and fatigue properties of aluminum alloys to be used in higher-compression engines. The near–term objectives are to develop and modify existing commercial alloys to extend the range of application and/or reduce the process cost. The technical emphasis is on delivering specific process improvements such as advanced heat treatment for new steel alloys.