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Aluminum alloy | Future materials for automotive lightweight?

Release time:

2020-09-02 11:41

Aluminum alloy body is so important?
In recent years, with global warming and energy issues have become increasingly prominent, governments of all countries require automobile manufacturers to reduce product energy consumption, reduce pollution, and improve fuel economy. To improve the above performance of the car, the key is to reduce the quality of the car itself. For cars, in addition to fuel saving, the lightweight all-aluminum car body can squeeze out the ultimate power and handling performance. Generally speaking, under the condition of constant power, the lighter the car, the faster the speed and the more sporty, and the roll of the curve will also be weakened. Under the same strength, the lighter the car, the safer it is. The heavier the car body, the stronger the inertia, the greater the impact force after the accident, and the more serious the consequences of the accident.

Of course, aluminum alloy body also has many shortcomings, such as the cost of building a car will be very high. One is because aluminum itself is more expensive, and the price of some aluminum alloys even exceeds that of gold. The other is that the production process is more complicated and there are more technical difficulties. Therefore, the all-aluminum body is currently basically used in luxury high-end vehicles. So is the aluminum alloy body really that important?

Application of 1. aluminum alloy in car body manufacturing

ECHR

A trend in automobile manufacturing is to use materials such as aluminum to make large cover parts in the body to reduce the weight of the vehicle, such as the hood, roof, and door panels:
Like in the vehicleAudi A6, Renault Laguna ii, Peugeot 307 and Opel Witt C,Their hood is aluminum.Renault Laguna iiThe hood, roof and door panels all use aluminum alloy.
However, many manufacturers have introduced aluminum alloys into the production of body structures, even completely usingAluminum alloyto make the entire body, likeAudi A2,A8, Jaguar XJ, other manufacturers like BMW's 5 series, aluminum alloy is used to make the front structural parts and external panels.

Advantages of 2. aluminum alloy in car body manufacturing
In the new body, aluminum alloy has many advantages and characteristics. Although these characteristics are not necessarily good aspects, the performance exceeds the traditional steel body. It has many advantages not only in reducing the weight of the body, but also in reducing fuel consumption., Improve the handling of the vehicle.

Another reason why aluminum body is better than other steel bodies is its environmental protection performance. As mentioned earlier, it can reduce fuel consumption and reduce pollution emissions in the production process, because 99% of aluminum can be recycled. To a certain extent, it compensates for the high cost of smelting aluminum from aluminum ore. The specific gravity of aluminum is about 1/3 that of steel. The application of aluminum in body manufacturing can reduce the weight of vehicles by 20-30% and reduce fuel consumption by 10%, which means saving 0.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.

The high recycling rate of aluminum alloy can compensate for the high energy consumption of smelting. Because it can be reused, the cost of recycling is very low.
Aluminum is an inert material, this statement may not be accurate, aluminum metal exposed to the air quickly on the surface of the formation of a dense layer of oxide, this layer of oxide is aluminum oxide, so that the metal aluminum and air isolated, to protect the further corrosion of oxygen. It is this ability to rapidly form aluminum oxide to resist external oxidation corrosion that makes it a material with excellent corrosion resistance.
Aluminum metal outer layer of alumina has the following characteristics:
When the aluminum metal is exposed to the air, it will directly react with the oxygen in the air to form a thin dense aluminum oxide film, blocking further oxidation, so that the aluminum has a good passive protection. The melting point of this layer of oxide is as high as 2050 ℃, and this layer of oxide needs to be removed during the welding operation. If this layer of oxide is not removed, the weld will have defects such as pores and impurities.
Aluminum has good rigidity, and a certain thickness of the plate is applied to the body, which can manufacture the whole vehicle and some panels,
The consistency of aluminum is better than steel, it can be very good processing, through stamping or extrusion, the consumption of relatively low energy costs.

Aluminum has high energy absorption properties, making it an ideal material for manufacturing the deformation zone of the car body to increase the passive safety of the car body. The opacity to ultraviolet light, the impermeability to water and gas, no smell and non-toxic, make it a pollution-free material, but also a recyclable environmental protection material.

The condensation and heat dissipation systems of automobile air conditioners, such as compressors, condensers, evaporators and various pipes, require materials with good welding performance, easy forming, good corrosion resistance, high strength and good heat conduction. The performance of aluminum alloy in this regard is better than the current use of copper alloy, and the quality of aluminum radiator is 37% to 45% lower than copper, so aluminum alloy is gradually used in automotive air conditioning systems.

Aluminum alloy for wheels

At present, the utilization rate of aluminum alloy wheels abroad has reached more than 80%. Aluminum alloy wheels are mainly produced by gravity casting, low pressure casting and other methods, but with the higher requirements for lightweight,Stamping and spinning of aluminum alloy sheet to manufacture integral wheels and two-part combined wheelsProcesses are increasingly used in production practice.

Aluminum alloy for engine

The cylinder block and cylinder head of automobile engine require materials with good thermal conductivity and high corrosion resistance, and aluminum alloy has a very prominent advantage in this respect.

From the perspective of high speed, comfort, beauty, durability, lightweight, energy saving, environmental protection, and comprehensive cost reduction, aluminum alloy is undoubtedly the preferred material for modernization and lightweight in the automotive industry. Many countries in the world are committed to automotive use. Research on aluminum alloy.
As one of the pillar industries in China, the automobile industry will continue to develop at a high speed in the next few decades. The development of high-performance aluminum alloys for automobiles will play an important role in improving the international competitiveness of China's automobile industry, and will also produce significant economic and social benefits.

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