USAMP magnesium powertrain cast components: Fundamental research summary

The Magnesium Powertrain Cast Components (MPCC) Project is an effort, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP), to demonstrate the readiness of magnesium for use in powertrain applications by testing a set the magnesium-intensive engines which were designed, cast, and assembled. A second MPCC goal is to promote new and strengthen existing magnesium scientific research in North America. The project investigated several of the newly developed high-temperature (creep-resistant) magnesium alloys, which will potentially experience service conditions in the temperature range of 150-200 degrees C and about 50-110 MPa in stresses (typical powertrain). However the mechanical and physical behaviors of these new alloys are not fully understood. This article outlines MPCC-supported fundamental scientific research into the workings of these new alloys. The areas of research are: phase equilibrium and computational thermodynamics, creep deformation mechanisms, corrosion, hot tearing, and alloy recycling.