AUSTRALIA - GREAT ENVIRO NEWS

[nathangdad]

As many readers know, I have long advocated a sort of Manhattan project for engines, power production, and related activities. I seems Australia has gotten the idea (although not from me, of course). They have launched what they call the Light Metal Flagship Program for an all out effort to work with aluminum, magnesium, and titanium plus alloys of these metals. The goal is automobiles and sustainable/recyclable products that will provide in various products 30% energy increases, 50% reduction in manufacturing costs, and increases in asset productivity of 30%.

There first big breakthrough has been a new heat treatment for certain aluminum alloys allowing for more use of this metal in high pressure die casting components.

In a world where we are endlessly hammered with bad news this is
a shot of good news I hope will inspire other nations to become
proactive in a number of practical application areas.

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by nathangdad

As many readers know, I have long advocated a sort of Manhattan project for engines, power production, and related activities. I seems Australia has gotten the idea (although not from me, of course). They have launched what they call the Light Metal Flagship Program for an all out effort to work with aluminum, magnesium, and titanium plus alloys of these metals. The goal is automobiles and sustainable/recyclable products that will provide in various products 30% energy increases, 50% reduction in manufacturing costs, and increases in asset productivity of 30%.

There first big breakthrough has been a new heat treatment for certain aluminum alloys allowing for more use of this metal in high pressure die casting components.

In a world where we are endlessly hammered with bad news this is
a shot of good news I hope will inspire other nations to become
proactive in a number of practical application areas.

Whatever happened to that ceramic engine someone was developing in Australia a few years ago?

[nathangdad]

Ceramics have proven great in the lab but difficult in the real world.

Work continues to develop a ceramic that will hold up in the world of
pounding and vibration an engine encounters in daily use. Some advances, I have been told, have occured in the making of new ceramic coatings for the top of a piston.

Work also continues on ceramic coatings for stationary objects for the
purpose, as you most likely know, to keep heat transmission in greater control. It is an exciting area of research to improve our world by making it far more efficient to keep heat and cold where you want it kept.

Two areas of phenominal promise for new ceramics are the household refrigerator (a big energy user) and the household water heater (another big energy user).

In a somewhat related engine matter, Ford has invested in a two cycle engine invented in Australia for which development work continues toward a lighter engine running at very high temperatures and pressure to maximize fuel to energy with lower pollution.

So, we will see where all this goes but I do congratulate the efforts to improve our world.

[DWFan]

Aluminum, as I understand, is the most abundant metal on the planet.

[nathangdad]

is very plentiful in Australia and the aluminum industry is their most advanced industry in terms of the metals mentioned.

[ArkansasHunter]

nathangdad are you an Aussie ????

[Mick]

Aussies rock, exept we sell almost all of our raw materials to china (iron, copper, zinc, coal you name it china wants it) and then buy it back as fridges and cars, doesn't make sense.

Then again I don't know any Aussie who would work in a steel foundry for $5 a day or whatever they pay the workers in china.