Source: Engineering 360
“The key to the alloys’ high-temperature performance is a specific aluminum-cerium compound, or intermetallic, that forms inside the alloys as they are melted and cast. This intermetallic melts only at temperatures above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
That heat tolerance makes aluminum-cerium alloys very attractive for use in internal combustion engines, Rios says. Tests have shown them to be stable at 300 degrees Celsius, a temperature that would cause traditional alloys to begin disintegrating. In addition, the stability of this intermetallic sometimes eliminates the need for heat treatments typically required for aluminum alloys.
Read More: Aluminum-Cerium Alloys Could Boost Engine Efficiency and Rare Earth Production
