Fractographic Analysis of Fractures of Cast Bimetallic Pistons of a Powerful Internal Combustion Engine

The features of brittle fracture of pistons in an internal combustion engine (ICE) of a combined metal have been determined: aluminum cast alloy reinforced with a bandage insert of heat-resistant cast iron. Fractographic analysis of fractures reveals defects in the fusion of the base metal of the pistons and the embedded bandage ring. The cause of the incident is due to the constraint of significant temperature–force deformations during thermal cyclings of a dissimilar metal with different thermal–physical properties and an unsuccessful shape of the cast iron insert. It is complex in nature, combining a low level of piston design and the manufacturing of reinforced castings, in which, during operation, high temperature stresses occur in the metal of the piston and the embedded part.