Rapidly solidified aluminum alloy powder

Miniaturization and weight reduction are becoming increasingly important in the fabrication of vehicles. In particular, aluminum-silicon alloys are the logical choice for automotive parts such as pistons and cylinders liners because of their excellent wear resistance and low coefficient of thermal expansion. However, it is difficult to produce aluminum-silicon alloys with silicon contents greater than 20 wt% via ingot metallurgy, because strength is drastically reduced by the coarsening of primary silicon particles. This article describes an investigation of rapid solidification powder metallurgy techniques developed in an effort to prevent coarsening of the primary silicon particles in aluminum-silicon alloys.