IIT Madras Develops New Magnesium Manufacturing Process for Automotive and Aerospace

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Researchers have invented a new and innovative casting process for manufacturing Magnesium. This process enables the creation of strong, lightweight and corrosion-resistant magnesium castings suitable for demanding applications like automobiles, aerospace and many other sectors.

Called ‘Strain Integrated Gas Infusion (SIGI) Process’, this method improves the quality of magnesium alloy casting by refining its internal structure, obtaining non-dendritic grain structure with homogeneous alloy distribution, enhancing durability, and reducing both production time and manufacturing costs

The researchers at the Innovative Materials Processing and Characterization Research Group (IMPCRG) and Centre of Applied Magnesium Research at IIT Madras, led by Prof. Sushanta Kumar Panigrahi, Head, Manufacturing Engineering Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, have patented this process.

The Research Team has also published their work on the reputed peer-reviewed International Journal of Materials Processing Technology (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2024.118658)

The SIGI process, patented by the inventors Ms. Vidya Tiwari, Mr. Nilesh Kumar and Prof. Sushanta Kumar Panigrahi, (IN Patent No: 550671), has received the ‘International Magnesium Award for Innovative Process of the Year-2024’ from the International Magnesium Science and Technology Award Committee, jointly awarded by the International Magnesium Society (IMS) and the Journal of Magnesium and Alloys (JMA). IIT Madras Researchers are the first team from India to win this award.

This process has been successfully demonstrated for many grades of magnesium alloys, showing excellent results in improving their strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance. As compared to conventional casting processes, the Magnesium AZ91 casting developed by SIGI process showed two times improvement of strength, three times improvement in ductility and significant improvement in corrosion resistance (Published in Journal of Materials Processing Technology).

The research team is now focusing on adapting this technology to other lightweight materials, including magnesium composites and aluminum-based alloys and composites, to broaden its industrial applicability. This innovative casting process also holds great potential for fabricating composites with enhanced process efficiency.

Elaborating on this new process, Prof. Sushanta Kumar Panigrahi, Head, Manufacturing Engineering Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “Unlike traditional casting methods, the ‘Strain Integrated Gas Infusion (SIGI) Process’ uses advanced techniques to create a more uniform and refined structure during casting, eliminating the need for additional treatments. This means the materials developed by SIGI process are stronger, more durable, and resistant to wear and corrosion. By combining efficiency with innovation, the process sets a new standard for manufacturing high-performance magnesium alloy castings.”

Further Co-Inventor Ms. Vidya Tiwari, Research Scholar, IIT Madras, added, “The global shift toward reducing carbon emissions has prompted industries like automotive and aerospace to explore lightweight materials to enhance energy efficiency. Magnesium alloys, which are two-thirds lighter than aluminium and one-quarter the weight of steel, present a promising solution. Magnesium-cast components account for 80% of all applications of magnesium alloys, making their development critical for modern industries.”

Co-Inventor Mr. Nilesh Kumar, Research Scholar, IIT Madras, added, “Due to inherent characteristics of traditional casting methods, Magnesium castings often form dendritic cast structure, alloying segregation at grain boundaries, in-homogeneous microstructural gradient and microporosity. Therefore, traditional casting methods often lead to issues with strength, durability, and corrosion resistance, which have hindered their widespread adoption. In order to address these issues, the traditional practice is to impart post heat treatment or secondary processing to the Magnesium castings, which adds production time and cost. Hence, our research team set out to resolve these issues as it is essential to address these challenges to advance sustainable and efficient transportation solutions.”

The Key Benefits of ‘Strain Integrated Gas Infusion (SIGI) Process’ include:

• Produces lightweight magnesium castings with improved strength, ductility and corrosion resistance.
• Speeds up the production process, saving time and energy.
• Reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for extra treatments.
• Supports sustainable development by enabling lighter vehicles that consume less fuel, lowering carbon emissions.
• Opens opportunities for industries to use magnesium alloys in a wide range of products, from automotive to aerospace sectors.

The Innovative Materials Processing and Characterization Research Group (IMPCRG) at IIT Madras is also focused on developing different innovative sustainable manufacturing routes via liquid state, solid state, semi-solid state, microwave, thermo-mechanical, forming, micro-forming, superplastic forming and friction based technologies for manufacturing difficult to form materials such Magnesium and Aluminium based composites and alloys in different product length scale.

Towards this, IMPCRG is actively associated with sponsored projects of the Government and private agencies such as DST, ISRO, DRDO, DSIR, Union Ministry of Education, Union Ministry of Heavy Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Renault Nissan, Titan Company Ltd, Aditya Birla Group, Hindalco and Rane NSK Steering System, among others.