AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS OF ALUMINUM METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Egyptian Armed Forces.

2 Prof. High Inst. Of Tech., Tenth of Ramadan.

Abstract

The automotive industry is facing the challenge of fuel economy. Many factors contribute to fuel economy. Vehicle weight is a significant factor. One approach to vehicle weight reduction is the use of lightweight materials such as aluminum. The replacement of steel by aluminum requires a cross-section that is three times greater due to the low specific strength (strength to weight ratio) of aluminum, which makes it approximately equal in weight and rigidity to steel but of three times the cost. Thus, its use is limited in mass-production vehicles. New aluminum metal matrix composites (At-MMC) can be processed to the higher strength associated with steels and this reduces its thickness. The high specific strength, stiffness and the flexibility in design of fiber reinforced composite structural members enhanced their automotive applications. The objective of this work is to develop a model and analyze new fiber reinforced aluminum plates to meet the requirements for automotive applications.

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