Squeeze Casting of Wrought Mg Alloys for Lightweight Structural Automotive Components

用于轻质汽车结构部件的变形镁合金挤压铸造

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-02946
• 负责人: Hu, Hongfa
• 金额: $ 2.84万
• 依托单位: University of Windsor
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=760492
• 关键词: Squeeze; Casting; Wrought; Mg; Alloys

The average Mg content in 2015 North America built cars was 5 kg, compared with an increase from 3 kg per vehicle in 2000. By 2025, the usage of Mg is expected to triple to about 15 kg per vehicle due to its lightweight property. The current Mg automotive components are mainly manufactured by conventional high pressure die casting processes (C-HPDC) with the conventional cast Mg alloys. The mechanical properties of C-HPDC alloys are affected by casting defects, which reduce the strength and ductility. C-HPDC Mg components are prone to high levels of porosity because of severe turbulence of the molten alloy that enters the die cavity. There is a major limitation on the use of C-HPDC Mg castings in critical areas of the vehicle including chassis, body frame and suspension due to the inadequate mechanical properties of the conventional cast Mg alloys. The structural components in the critical areas require high strength, high ductility and improved corrosion resistance, and are capable of functioning in cyclic loading and corrosive environment. To expand Mg applications into structural and safety-critical parts of both gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles (GDVs) or battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs), such as knuckles, control arms, subframe, unibody, door frame and seat belt brackets, which experience a high cyclic mechanical loading during service, the development of cost-effective manufacturing processes is essential to produce lightweight high-integrity structural automotive components. Low-cost wrought Mg alloys possess sufficient ductility and strengths to ensure that lightweight high-integrity structural applications have consistent excellent plasticity and high strengths. The long term objective of this proposal is to exploit the unique engineering performance and qualities of inexpensive wrought Mg alloys with squeeze casting (SC) for automotive applications, particularly high-integrity structural components in GDVs or BEVs. The proposed research program will employ a systematic design approach guided by comprehensive processing-microstructure-property relationships of the low-cost SC wrought Mg alloys (LSCWMAs) with high plasticity and strengths. The short term objectives in the next five years are: (I) development of squeeze casting processes for low-cost wrought Mg alloys and (II) evaluation and characterization as well as optimization of the LSCWMAs. This new technology will put Canada at the leading edge in emerging markets for high-integrity lightweight structural applications. The OEMs present in Canada (Ford, Toyota, GM, Honda and Chrysler) need high-integrity lightweight structural applications for their GDVs and BEVs. Ontario hosts the world's largest Mg die casting company, Meridian. The development of new Mg processes for potential advanced products will lead to an increase in Mg-based castings made in Canada as well as an expansion of world-wide use of Canadian value-added lightweight products.

2015 年北美制造的汽车平均镁含量为 5 公斤，而 2000 年每辆车的镁含量为 3 公斤。到 2025 年，由于其轻质特性，镁的使用量预计将增加三倍，达到每辆车约 15 公斤。目前的镁汽车零部件主要采用传统的高压压铸工艺（C-HPDC）使用传统的铸造镁合金制造。 C-HPDC合金的机械性能受到铸造缺陷的影响，从而降低强度和延展性。由于进入模腔的熔融合金的剧烈湍流，C-HPDC 镁部件容易出现高水平的孔隙率。由于传统铸造镁合金的机械性能不足，C-HPDC 镁铸件在车辆关键区域（包括底盘、车架和悬架）的使用受到重大限制。关键部位的结构件要求具有高强度、高塑性和耐腐蚀性能，能够在循环载荷和腐蚀环境下工作。将镁的应用扩展到汽油或柴油动力车辆 (GDV) 或电池供电电动车辆 (BEV) 的结构和安全关键部件，例如转向节、控制臂、副车架、一体式车身、门框和安全带支架，在使用过程中会经历高循环机械载荷，因此开发具有成本效益的制造工艺对于生产轻质高完整性结构汽车部件至关重要。低成本变形镁合金具有足够的延展性和强度，可确保轻质高完整性结构应用具有一致的优异塑性和高强度。该提案的长期目标是通过挤压铸造 (SC) 技术，利用廉价锻造镁合金的独特工程性能和质量，应用于汽车应用，特别是 GDV 或 BEV 中的高完整性结构部件。拟议的研究计划将采用一种系统设计方法，以具有高塑性和强度的低成本 SC 变形镁合金 (LSCWMA) 的综合加工-微观结构-性能关系为指导。未来五年的短期目标是：(I) 开发低成本变形镁合金的挤压铸造工艺，以及 (II) LSCWMA 的评估和表征以及优化。这项新技术将使加拿大在高完整性轻质结构应用的新兴市场中处于领先地位。加拿大的原始设备制造商（福特、丰田、通用汽车、本田和克莱斯勒）需要为其 GDV 和 BEV 提供高完整性的轻量化结构应用。安大略省拥有世界上最大的镁压铸公司 Meridian。针对潜在先进产品的新镁工艺的开发将导致加拿大制造的镁基铸件的增加，以及加拿大增值轻质产品在全球范围内的使用扩大。