MAGNESIUM ALLOY

AND COMPOSITE I.C.

ENGINES

- Ariff Mohammed
Tajdeen A
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CONVENTIONAL ENGINE
MATERIALS
o Aluminium and Cast Iron
oProperties of Aluminium
Properties
Density of solid

2700 kg m3

Young's modulus

70 GPa

Rigidity modulus

26 GPa

Poisson's ratio

0.35

Thermal conductivity

235 W m1 K1

Melting point

933.47 K [660.32 C]

NEED OF THE HOUR

WHAT ABOUT COMPOSITES?

AJ62
Found and patented by Noranda Aluminium Holding corp.
die castable alloy of magnesium that have good creep resistance at
high temperature. They contains magnesium, aluminum, and
strontium.
In the name the 'J' refers to Strontium.
Alloy

Mg

Al%

Sr%

Mn %

AJ 62

Balance

0.34

MAGNESIUMM ALLOY
PROPERTIES

Comparison between Al And Mg- AJ62

Density ( x10 mg/cm3)
Strength to density ratio (Mpa /g/cm3) (x.25)

Yield strength (MPa)

Creep Resistance (ASTM B 139 - 200 hrs) 50 MPa @ 150C (0.2x10^-3)

UTS (Mpa)

Melting point ( x2 oC)

Young's Modulus ( x 200 MPa)

Corrosion Rate ( mg/cm^2/day) x10^-3

Thermal conductivity (X 0.25 W/m K)

Coefficient of thermal expansion ( x10-7 K-1)

Alumini
um

PROBLEMS WITH AJ62

o easily corroded when in contact with water
o Recycling Mg-alloys need special processes
oSpecialized plants/equipment needed for manufacturing

THE BMW N52 ENGINE

SERIES!

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MANUFACTURE
BMW uses a special high pressure die casting (HPDC) method to cast
Mg engine blocks.
Problem of water corrosion is solved by having Aluminium inserts and
cylinder liners over which coolant water flows.
engineers met the challenge of balancing magnesium and aluminums
different coefficients of specific thermal expansion, which required a
breakthrough level of casting technology and process reproducibility.
As the magnesium housing shrinks around the aluminum insert, the
thermally complex casting process ensures that both components heat
up and cool down at precisely the right time during production.
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MANUFACTURE

The two-piece mold, weighing nearly 60 tons, closes over the aluminum insert with
4,000 tons of hydraulic force. Liquid magnesium alloy (at 700C) is then poured into
the mold, maintaining a 970 bar pressure within the cavities and solidifying within ten
seconds. After 20 seconds cooling time the metals are firmly bonded and the
crankcase is robotically removed.
Next the crankcase undergoes heat treatment, and further machining and finishing
processes are completed.

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MANUFACTURE

The engine bedplates magnesium construction results in much higher

torsional stiffness, providing greater fatigue strength, which supports
the R6s top speed of 7,000 rpm.

Alusil is coated on inner surface of Aluminium inserts

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POI
oMagnesium alloy engine was
produced in 300,000 BMW
vehicles in 2006
oMagnesium alloy crankcase is 24
percent lighter than conventional
aluminum engine
oR6 is lightest 3.0 liter inline sixcylinder gasoline engine in the
world at 161 Kg
oHollow camshafts are used.
oAnother cause for success of the

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SO CAN WE MAKE IT
LIGHTER?

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WHAT ABOUT COMPOSITES?

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CAN YOU MAKE AN ENGINE

OUT OF PLASTIC?
WHY NOT !?

When do you think the first plastic

engine was made ?
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MEET MATTI HOLTZBERG

1979 founded polimotor

Currently president of Composite Castings
Has 17 patents regarding composite engine block manufacture
Inactive on LinkedIn and Facebook

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1969Matti Holtzberg read an article in a technical magazine at the Hackensack, New Jersey, public library espousing
a new plastic allegedly tough enough to withstand the harsh conditions existing inside car engines. Holtzberg
obtained a sample of the French material, which he used to make an experimental piston. After 20 minutes of
operation inside an Austin Mini engine, combustion heat burned a hole through his first plastic pistons crown.
1970sHoltzberg made and sold ultralight plastic pistonsnow topped with aluminum crownsfor racing use.
1979Holtzberg founded Polimotor (shorthand for polymer motor) to develop the worlds first plastic-intensive
engine.
1980After Holtzbergs first engine ran,Automotive Industriesmagazine featured it in a cover story.
1982By the timePopular Sciencechimed in, Holtzbergs second-generation Polimotor produced 300 hp and weighed
152 pounds compared to 88 hp and 415 pounds for a contemporary Ford Pinto engine.
19841985A Lola sports car powered by a Polimotor and backed by Amoco Chemical ran a half-dozen IMSA Camel
Light road races with a best finish of third at Lime Rock. One broken connecting rod (purchased from a supplier) was
the only major failure.
1986With the durability point proven in racing, Holtzberg shifted his focus to mass production. With Amoco out of
the picture, he changed from Torlon to more affordable phenolic resin, the first commercial polymer and the material
Henry Ford used to bind his soybean fibers.
1990Holtzberg established Composite Castings, now located in West Palm Beach, Florida.
19982002Three patents covering technology related to the casting of phenolic or epoxy resin reinforced with
fiberglass were issued to Holtzberg. More than a dozen licensees now use his technology for rapid prototyping and
other applications.
2009Composite Casting formed a strategic partnership with resin supplier Huntsman Chemical.
2010A strategic partnership with carbon-fiber supplier Toho Tenax Americas was signed.
2011Composite Castings manufactured a dozen experimental carbon-fiber-composite versions of Fords 2.0-liter
Duratec four-cylinder engine block.

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TORLON
Property

Test method

units

neat PAI

30% GF PAI

30% CF PAI

Tensile Strength

ASTM D 638

MPa (kpsi)

152 (22.0)

221 (32.1)

221 (32.0)

Tensile Modulus

ASTM D 638

GPa (kpsi)

4.5 (650)

14.5 (2,110)

16.5 (2,400)

Tensile
Elongation

ASTM D 638

7.6

2.3

1.5

Flexural
Strength

ASTM D 790

MPa (kpsi)

241 (34.9)

333 (48.3)

350 (50.7)

Flexural
Modulus

ASTM D 638

GPa (kpsi)

5.0 (730)

11.7 (1,700)

16.5 (2,400)

Compressive
Strength

ASTM D 695

MPa (kpsi)

221 (32.1)

264 (38.3)

254 (36.9)

Shear Strength

ASTM D 732

MPa (kpsi)

128 (18.5)

139 (20.1)

119 (17.3)

Izod Impact
StrengthUnnotched

ASTM D 4812

J/m (ftlb/in)

1070 (20)

530 (10)

320 (6)

Heat Deflection
Temperature @
264 psi

ASTM D 648

C (F)

278 (532)

282 (540)

282 (540)

ASTM D 696

ppm/C
(ppm/F)

31 (17)

16 (9)

9 (5)

Coefficient
Linear Thermal

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Torlon Aluminium Comparison

Tensile strength (Mpa)

Aluminium

Torlon (CFR)

400

200
Softening /Melting temperature ( x2 oC)

Density (x10 Kg/m^3)

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (x10^-7 /K)

Elastic Modulus ( x0.5 Gpa)

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POLIMOTOR ENGINE
othe Ford Pinto 2.3 Liter, 4 cylinder engine was used as the model.
oInstead of using the cast-iron block and SOHC Single Over Head Camshaft head,
the design incorporated reinforced plastic for the block walls, piston skirts,
connecting rods, oil pan and portions of the cylinder head.
oBore surfaces, piston crowns and combustion chambers would remain iron or
aluminium.
oCrankshaft and camshaft were to be standard Ford production components
oIt resulted in an engine weighing 200 Lbs (91 kg) instead of the 415 Lbs (189 kg) of
the production engine.
oStill backed by AMOCO, he developed another version of the engine this time
using the Ford Cosworth BDA design (DOHC/16 Valves). He bought a Lola T-616 that
he equipped with the new engine, this time weighing 73 kg.
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MANUFACTURE
The mold is a six-piece
aluminum jigsaw puzzle
consisting of a base plate, four
side panels, and a top cover. A
removable core, which forms
the water jacket, oil drains, and
main oil galley, fits inside.
During assembly, the mold also
is loaded with various aluminum
parts: 71 threaded inserts and
five main bearing saddles. After
casting, four cylinders are
placed in the water jacket.
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MANUFACTURE
oAfter prepping the mold, epoxy resin and six-mm-long carbon
fibers are stirred together in an industrial mixer. The resulting
batter, which has the consistency of oatmeal, is warmed slightly
and then poured into the mold. Its left to cure for two hours.
oAfter casting, the main bearing saddles are line bored and the
cylinders are cut to accept liners
oHoltzberg plans on switching to a molybdenum plasma spray
coating in place of aluminum cylinder liners to trim additional
pounds.

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FUTURE OF COMPOSITE
ENGINES
o Holtzberg has been developing his composite engine and plans to
unveil it in a grand manner this year.
oFord had plans to try out a composite engine, but after
construction of a prototype plans have been shelved. Hopefully
they will be revisited.
oBMW says it is working on its own composite engine, which is in
the early stages of developement.

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THANK YOU

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