| abstract |
A piston for an internal combustion engine, and particularly, but not exclusively, for a Diesel engine, has in a region thereof reinforcing ceramic fibres, the fibres originally being in the form of an insert for the piston with a relatively high density in the range 10 to 20% of the density of the fibre material. In the fabrication of the piston the insert is infiltrated with molten piston material, the piston being formed by employing a pressure casting technique, such as squeeze casting. The piston material comprises an aluminum alloy with 2.0 to 5.5% by weight copper and with 11.0 to 17.0% by weight silicon, and, preferably, 2.5 to 3.5% by weight copper and 12 to 14% by weight silicon. In the fibre-reinforced region the top ring groove of the piston is provided, and, possibly, the fibre-reinforced piston region provides the peripheral part of the crown surface. |