A process for producing an engine component, engine component and using an aluminum alloy

The invention describes a method for making an engine component, in particular a piston for an internal combustion engine, which comprises an aluminum alloy is cast, a casting is quenched and the casting is heat treated. The aluminum alloy in this case has the following alloying elements: up to about 25 wt .-% of silicon (Si), 0.01 to about 5 wt .-% hafnium (Hf), 0.01 to about 5 wt .-% of scandium (Sc), 0.01 to about 5 wt .-% zirconium (Zr), and about 2 to about 6 wt .-% copper (Cu), about 1.2 to about 3.5 wt .-% of nickel (Ni), about 0, 5 to about 1.5 wt .-% magnesium (Mg), about 0.1 to about 0.7 wt .-% iron (Fe), about 0.1 to about 0.4 wt .-% of manganese (Mn) , about 0.1 to 0.3 wt .-% of vanadium (V), about 0.01 to about 0.3 wt .-% of titanium (Ti), about 0.003 to about 0.02 wt .-% phosphorus (P ) and the balance of aluminum (Al) and unavoidable impurities. Next, the aluminum alloy secondary precipitation phases on as binary Hf-containing and / or quaternary Al, Sc, Zr and Hf containing intermetallic phases. The invention further discloses a motor component, in particular a piston for an internal combustion engine and the use of aluminum alloy for making an engine component.