 ALLOY DEVELOPMENT
Aluminum Alloy Research and Development
For nearly two decades, Touchstone Research Laboratory has been on the leading edge of
aluminum alloy research and development, helping create better and more efficient products
for a range of industries and clients who have generated hundreds of millions of dollars of sales as a result.
Enhancing the strength and durability of new aluminum alloys for use in a wide range of products
such as automobile radiators to aircraft parts has been the continued R&D goal of Touchstone team
using a leading edge array of research tools.
The efforts of Touchstone’s team of researchers led to milestone improvements in automotive
radiators, climate control devices and other heat exchangers. Advances in the corrosion resistance
of brazing sheet alloys have given manufacturers new levels of product endurance and dependability.
Touchstone has the R&D expertise in the broad area of ‘Physical Metallurgy of Aluminum Alloys’.
Some of the projects handled by Touchstone are: (i) Alloy development for automotive heat exchangers
to improve their mechanical properties (tensile, fatigue and creep) and corrosion response in different
environments, (ii) Microstructural characterizations using optical and scanning electron microscopy,
(iii) Elevated temperature mechanical testing (tensile and creep), (iv) Failure analysis of structural
components and heat exchangers, (v) Clad rolling of different aluminum alloys, and (vi) Evaluation of
various alloys and their products.
The equipment capabilities include: Melting and casting of laboratory-scale ingots, chemical analysis (ICP),
Rolling mill for hot and cold rolling, Optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Image analyzer,
Heat treatment furnaces, Thermal analysis (DSC), Accelerated corrosion testing (airside and waterside),
Mechanical testing (tensile, fatigue and creep).
In view of the availability of wide ranging facilities and experts within its laboratory,
Touchstone is uniquely positioned to take up R&D projects of interest to aluminum producers and users.
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