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AFS Research Helps Produce $10.1 Million Grant, Lightweight Solutions |
With the help of American Foundry Society (AFS) research, the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM), Madison, Wis., has procured a five year, $10.1 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The grant has been issued to take cast aluminum and magnesium nanocomposites from laboratory to large-scale production. AFS helped UWM by providing the research funds necessary to initiate the seed project that help to prove the viability of the technology concept.
A method that combines solidification processes with ultrasonic cavitation based dispersion of nanoparticles in aluminum and magnesium alloy melts was developed by Prof. Xiaochun Li at UWM through a funded project from AFS. As published in the Metalcasting Industry Research chapter of the Spring 2009 (Vol. 3, Issue 2) International Journal of Metalcasting (IJMC), the need of cast aluminum and magnesium alloys having elevated temperature capabilities is expected to increase as automotive industries are forced to improve the fuel efficiency of their products.
"It could reduce weight by 20% to 30% on an engine block for example," said Tom Prucha, AFS vice president of technical services. “If it proves successful, the research eventually could result in thousands of new jobs in the U.S. metalcasting industry.”
For more information on this or other AFS sponsored research projects, contact Prucha at 800/537-4237 x264 or
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. To subscribe to the IJMC, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237, or
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