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What materials are leading the charge in automotive lightweighting?
Articles- Mar 29,25
Although these are some of the most common materials used to make automobiles weigh less, researchers are constantly working to discover better methods, says Emily Newton.
When used successfully, lightweighting materials can make cars more fuel-efficient and aerodynamic. Additionally, because they are more nimble than their heavier counterparts, they can help drivers avoid accidents. Some materials have come to the forefront in the ongoing efforts to make cars lighter while maintaining or even increasing safety.
1. Magnesium alloys
Magnesium alloys have many desirable characteristics that make them ideal choices for making cars lighter. They have an excellent strength-to-weight ratio that allows designers to use them without compromising an automobile’s structural integrity.
Magnesium is also one of the Earth’s most abundant materials, and its high availability could safeguard companies from the supply chain challenges caused by harder-to-source materials. Wheel designs featuring magnesium alloys instead of steel can be up to 32% lighter, showing the measurable benefits of incorporating these materials into cars.
People have also investigated how to formulate magnesium alloys to increase an automobile’s flame resistance while keeping the materials light. These research findings could be important for helping automobile manufacturers reduce fire risk for both electric and gas-powered vehicles. However, fires associated with electric cars are typically more challenging for firefighters to manage due to factors such as the batteries' chemical composition and toxicity.
Additionally, some electric car fires have quickly spread, affecting far more vehicles than the one where the fire originated. However, a 2023 airport incident impacting 1,500 automobiles proves that electric vehicles are not entirely to blame, as investigators found that a diesel-powered car was responsible for the massive incident. Magnesium alloys empower engineers to focus on improving lightweighting materials while addressing other pressing challenges.
2. Next-generation steels
People have used steel for thousands of years, but recent progress in manufacturing has helped make significant strides in reducing cars’ weight. Material scientists and others have explored the use of polymers and carbon fiber-spun materials to make steel stronger and lighter.
However, there is still a lot to learn about the most effective ways to modify steel so it will have the most desirable properties and effects. A team at Osaka Metropolitan University emphasised that the material will continue playing a crucial role in society’s transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles, but only if people can figure out how to make steel stronger and more lightweight for these applications.
The team wanted to learn more about how the elements within steel interact. They made theoretical calculations about 120 combinations associated with 12 alloy elements. The team members expect their findings to improve material development efforts by increasing strength and durability. Achieving those goals could keep vehicle weight down and assist automotive decision-makers and other industry authorities.
3. Bio-based materials
As automakers keep exploring feasible options for lightweighting materials, many understand that improvements will have far-reaching benefits. For example, shipping vehicles made from lightweighting materials should cost less because the vehicles are lighter.
Additionally, automotive manufacturers that develop high-performance cars for racing can charge top-dollar if their creations are faster and lighter than alternatives. Thoughtful designs can also make big differences in overall environmental impact. For example, a 10% weight reduction can increase fuel efficiency by eight percent.
Many designers know that today’s decisions could impact the future for better or worse. That is why many are invested in understanding the usefulness of bio-based products as lightweighting materials. Finding effective options could reduce or eliminate manufacturers’ dependence on resource-intensive alternatives such as metallic alloys or glass. Although such materials can make cars lighter, they also have large carbon footprints.
A 2023 undergraduate research project at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory involved extracting fibers from banana stems and trunks. Research intern Brianna Greer created nonwoven fiber composites for future automotive applications. Other material options include hemp, coconut and flax fibers.
Although bananas feel soft when ripe, that texture is misleading because their trees contain strong fibers. Greer extracted them and put them into bundles for cleaning and drying. That process allowed her to reinforce a bicycle’s wheel well, indicating the potential of using fibers to improve composite performance. She envisions adapting this process to cars, too.
Some manufacturers have also investigated how to replace interior materials — such as foams — with bio-based alternatives. Regardless of whether these attempts reach the mainstream, scientists will undoubtedly learn valuable lessons that could improve auto manufacturing across the board.
Lightweighting materials will advance modern cars
Although these are some of the most common materials used to make automobiles weigh less, researchers are constantly working to discover better methods. The demand for lighter cars is already high and still growing, especially since many people want more sustainable and efficient vehicles.
Parties tasked with finding additional materials should challenge themselves to think outside the box and pursue possibilities that may at first seem too far-fetched. That commitment to doing things differently could cause world-changing innovations that affect people inside and beyond the auto industry.
About the author:
Emily Newton is a tech and industrial journalist and the Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized magazine. Subscribe to the Revolutionized newsletter for more content from Emily.
Image Courtesy: www.freepik.com
Auto manufacturing
automotive lightweighting
materials for automobiles
Emily Newton
lightweighting materials
aerodynamic
Magnesium Alloys
cars lighter
automobile
structural integrity
Next-Generation Steels
Bio-Based Materials
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