To optimize the conductivity and to reduce the weight by as much as possible, Al-Cu composites were prepared through a suction-casting procedure. Pure copper metal foam was infiltrated by melted aluminum with the use of the vacuum, after which warm rolling was conducted to remove several remaining pores at the interface between the Cu foam and the aluminum matrix. Despite the short casting time, significant dissolution of Cu into the melt was observed. Moreover, it was found that various Al-Cu intermetallic compounds arose at the interface during the isothermal heating process after the casting and rolling steps. The average thickness of the Al-Cu intermetallic compound tended to increase in proportion to the heating time. The electrical and thermal conductivity levels of the cast composites were found to be comparatively low, mainly due to the dissolution of the Cu foam and the formation of intermetallics at the interface.

In the present study, the characteristics of Mg inverter cases for hybrid cars are investigated. Concerns over the use of lightweight materials to reduce energy use and to mitigate emission problems are inevitable in the twenty-first century. Magnesium is a promising material for the manufacturing of lightweight parts. Several cases for thermal cooling channels have been designed and simulated, and the effects of materials and coatings on the thermal cooling efficiency have been discussed. The effects of the coating thickness on heat extraction in an Mg inverter housing case using the PEO (plasma electrolyte oxidation) coating method were also discussed. In order to produce an inverter case by the diecasting process, the filling sequence and cooling behavior during the diecasting process were simulated. The optimized process conditions from the simulation result were then used in a trial diecasting experiment.