Environmental Induced Cracking Susceptibility in Aluminium Alloys for sustainable Electrification of Heavy-Duty Vehicles (EICAl)

The proposed project will facilitate the development of reliable and robust future components with low carbon footprint made by recycled cast Al-alloy and high strength forged Al-alloy for electrification of heavy-duty trucks. It is of utmost importance to understand how, or even if, the selected aluminium alloys can withstand the extremely high material demands in heavy-duty vehicles.

The extreme environments with cyclic load, temperature variations and aggressive road climate, combined creates a significant risk for failures due to environmental induced cracking (EIC). The risk of EIC can increase in recycled alloys due to higher amounts impurities and segregation. It is also important to understand the potential risk of EIC of higher strength Al-alloy before their implementation.

The project will provide extensive evaluation of selected aluminium alloys, thereby, will support material development, for both an increased service life as well as lower environmental impact.