[1][2] This alloy was theoretically conceived in 1927 by Schweizer & Fehrenbach,[3] of Badener Metall-Waren-Fabrik,[4] but practically created only by Lancia[5] in the same year, for its car engines.
These exposed silicon particles, which under a microscope look like small islands, allow for oil to collect in the area surrounding them, thus forming the required tribofilm that supports piston and ring travel.
Examples of this coating include Mahle Ferrostan (I & II), FerroTec, or Ferroprint.
[9] BMW switched from Nikasil-coated cylinder walls to Alusil in 1996 to eliminate the corrosion problems caused through the use of petrol/gasoline containing sulfur.
Although successfully used by many European manufacturers, there are potentially issues associated with engines that use Alusil blocks, namely cylinder bore scoring which occurs when there is a breakdown of the exposed silicon particles in the cylinder bore, resulting in increased oil consumption and excessive piston noise.