Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of an aging heat treatment that can be used to replace conventional aging steps when making alloy embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the disclosed aging heat treatment reduce cost and complexity in producing aluminum alloy-based components while also promoting and/or improving microstructure stability of the aluminum alloys.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of an aging heat treatment that can be used to replace conventional aging steps when making alloy embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the disclosed aging heat treatment reduce cost and complexity in producing aluminum alloy-based components while also promoting and/or improving microstructure stability of the aluminum alloys.

Abstract: An aluminum-silicon alloy composition is disclosed which meets the manufacturing and performance conditions for linerless cylinder engine block casting using low-cost casting processes such as silica-sand molds. The alloy of the invention comprises in weight percent: 13%-14% Si; 2.3%-2.7% Cu; 0.1%-0.4% Fe; 0.1%-0.45% Mn; 0.1%-0.30% Mg; 0.1%-0.6% Zn; 0.05%-0.11 % Ti; 0.4%-0.8% Ni; 0.01%-0.09% Sr; and and the rest being aluminum plus any remainders. This alloy has very good machining characteristics, giving a significantly improved surface finish in the cylinder bores. The manufacturing cost of engine blocks is reduced in about 40% as compared with using current commercial alloys of the prior art requiring iron liners. Any primary Si present is substantially uniformly dispersed, and copper does not segregate during solidification and cooling.