High Pressure Die Casting [HDPC]
Nowadays the automotive industry is searching for lightweight materials for powertrain parts, which are subjected to both high temperatures and dynamic loads. More and more magnesium HDPC alloy applications are being developed in the automotive industry due to their many attractive properties such as high strength/stiffness to weight ratio, die castability, damping capacity, the possibility of integrated design, etc.
Magnesium alloys are widely used in safety-related parts such as steering wheels, dashboards, seats and doors. For automotive powertrain applications, the alloy selection is dictated by several requirements, including creep and corrosion resistance, tensile, compressive and fatigue properties, Castability and production cost.
Until recently, magnesium alloys were not used in powertrain parts due mainly to reasons related to the high cost of magnesium relative to aluminum and, to a large extent, due to the absence of suitable HPDC magnesium Alloys delivering the properties to closely match those of HPDC aluminum alloys such as A380.
DSM has developed MRI 153M and MRI 230D alloys, specifically engineered for powertrain components operating at temperatures of up to 150°C and 200°C, respectively.
Gravity casting alloys
Gravity casting processes such as sand casting, permanent mold casting and their low pressure modifications enable the production of large components to be used mainly in the automotive and aerospace industries. With the exception of AZ91E alloy, all other gravity casting alloys are creep resistant, containing Zr and various rare earth elements.
DSM offers two high performance advanced magnesium alloys – MRI 201S and MRI 202S. These alloys are well-suited for sand and gravity die casting applications and for related low-pressure alternatives. New alloys have to be used only under T6 conditions to realize the precipitation hardening mechanism and generate the optimum combination of ambient strength, ductility and creep properties. The outstanding high-temperature properties of MRI201S and MRI202S alloys are attractive for designers of powertrain components in the aerospace and automotive industries.
