Abstract
This study focuses on the development and fatigue testing of a Ni-Al-Al₂O₃ metal-ceramic composite intended for application in the exhaust valve heads of internal combustion engines. The material was prepared by gas-pressure infiltration of molten aluminum into a porous skeleton (Ni, Al₂O₃, Al), which was pre-stabilized by oxidation annealing at temperatures up to 800 °C. A key aspect of the research was the evaluation of the shear strength and interface integrity between the developed composite and a Nimonic 80A nickel superalloy stem. Fatigue tests were conducted at temperatures ranging from room temperature up to 800 °C at a frequency of 20 Hz. The results demonstrated that the composite and its bond with the stem exhibit excellent stability; a specimen loaded with a maximum force of 2000 N at 800 °C withstood 10 million cycles without any observed mechanical damage. Microstructural analysis confirmed that cyclic thermal loading leads to the transformation of NiAl₃ and Ni₂Al₃ phases into more stable NiAl and Ni₃Al intermetallic phases. The developed material represents a progressive lightweighting alternative to conventional steel valves, capable of long-term resistance to extreme conditions in the automotive industry.

Key words
lightweighting materials, automotive industry, gas pressure infiltration, nickel aluminides, ceramic particles

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