Developing Lighter Vehicles with Fewer Emissions

By Laura Nichol
September 2012

NRCan scientists are helping to develop a prototype vehicle front end that weighs 45 percent less than a typical front end made of steel.

Vacuum die cast magnesium component for testing

Every litre of gasoline burned in a typical vehicle engine emits around 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. Other gases generated by vehicles include sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These are contaminants that contribute to smog pollution.

One way to reduce these emissions is to decrease vehicle weight. For every 10 percent reduction in weight, the fuel efficiency of combustion-powered vehicles improves by 6 to 8 percent. For electric and hybrid electric vehicles, the weight reduction increases the distance travelled on a single charge by 4 percent.

The lightest metal that can be practically used to reduce vehicle weight is magnesium. For this purpose, Canada has been working with China and the United States since 2007 on a joint research project. They are developing materials and manufacturing processes to construct a vehicle front end made out of magnesium alloys. The structure is designed to be 38 kilograms (45 percent) lighter than a similar front end made out of steel.

Called the Magnesium Front End Research and Development project, the research challenge is to develop lightweight materials without compromising passenger safety or the life span of the vehicle. To achieve this task, each country has a team made up of government, industry and academic partners to maximize research capabilities and expertise.

Testing Magnesium Alloy Performance

“Steel remains widely used in vehicle materials because of its cost-effectiveness, high durability and crashworthiness,” says Mark Kozdras, Manager of the Advanced Materials for Transportation Program at Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) CanmetMATERIALS laboratory in Hamilton, Ontario. “The integration of lightweight magnesium components into vehicle structures requires considerable technology development to ensure the same high performance.”

Accordingly, the first phase of the research project involved gathering data on the behaviour of magnesium alloys, including their crashworthiness, durability, joining/welding properties and corrosion performance. Completed in 2010, this initial research phase involved over 100 scientists and engineers from across the three countries.

Researchers tested the behaviour of magnesium alloys under different loading conditions and developed equations to predict their performance. Using this data, the researchers worked to improve the material’s strength through alloy design and processing methods such as high-vacuum die casting, improved extrusion and sheet forming.

From Research to Commercial Production

Schematic image of the front end of an automotive vehicle

Scientists are now in the process of building a representative test structure. “Over the next three years, we are prototyping the various front end vehicle parts and testing how they behave as a bulk structure,” says Mark. “Through simulations, we are examining the crashworthiness and durability limits of magnesium alloys, as well as testing the casting, extrusion and sheet technologies developed in the first phase of the project.”

Once testing is completed, researchers will further develop the fabrication technologies to improve material quality, ensuring that the front end meets industry standards and can be manufactured at high volume and low cost. “The final lightweight structures will likely utilize several types of materials, including advanced high-strength steels,” says Mark. The final step will be to transfer the technology to industry for commercialization, with the overall goal of decreasing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated from vehicles.

Learn more about NRCan’s work to develop lighter-weight vehicles by visiting NRCan’s Vehicle Structural Materials web page.

To read about related articles, see Materials Technology.

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