The project is initiated in collaboration with Hydro Aluminium, Elkem, Stena, Nemak and NTNU.
The project overall target is to develop advanced and sustainable high-pressure die cast aluminium alloys with improved properties and/or reduced CO2 footprint to increase the use of aluminium in electrically-powered vehicles.
The automotive industry has ambitious plans to introduce large high-pressure die cast components for new car models. Such a large high-pressure die cast component can replace many chassis parts, improving productivity and reducing cost. These large components, in addition to new electrical components (e.g. battery boxes and electrical motor housings), entail a large demand for specially adapted Al alloys. Property requirements vary depending on the intended use and are different from requirements for more traditional parts in fossil cars.
The project focuses on alloys design with the aid of in-house and commercial microstructure modelling tools and laboratory scale experiments. Full scale testing of a new silicon master alloy will be performed in the project's first phase, and successful results will potentially lead to commercialization relatively early in the project period. Characterization of available scrap from the Norwegian/Nordic market will also be included in the first development phase to evaluate the potential for using post consumer scrap in the production of these alloys.
