• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.38-43
• /
• 2012

The effects of Mg and Cu amounts on the casting characteristics and tensile property of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys were investigated for the development of high strength aluminium alloys for gravity mold casting. Increase of copper amounts in Al-6%Zn-3%Mgy% Cu alloys resulted in reduction of the fluidity of these alloys and had little effects on the tensile property of these alloys. Increase of magnesium amounts from 1.0wt% to 3.3wt% in Al-6%Zn-x%Mg-0.5%Cu alloys resulted in reduction of the elongation of these alloys from 12% to 3% and increase of the tensile strength of these alloys from 340MPa to 450MPa, but had little effects on the fluidity of these alloys.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
• /
• 2006.09b
• /
• pp.1269-1270
• /
• 2006

Mg-Zn-RE alloys had a novel lond period stacking ordered (LPO) structure. Their rapidly solidified powder metallurgy (RS P/M) alloys exhibited a combination of high strength and god ductility (tensile yield strength above 550 MPa and elongation above 5%). The LPO Mg-Zn-RE RS P/M alloys had high elevated temperature strength (tensile yield strength above 380 MPa at 473 K) and exhibited a high-strain-rate superplasticity at higher temperatures. In Japan, a national project for developing high strength LPO Mg-Zn-RE RS P/M alloys has started at 2003 for 5 years, which is founded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan. In the national project, project targets in materials performances have been achieved. The developed LPO Mg-Zn-RE RS P/M alloys exhibited higher tensile yield strength, fatigue strength and corrosion resistance than high strength aluminum alloys of extra-super-duralumin (7075-T6).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.309-314
• /
• 2010

Microstructures and grain growth behaviors at elevated temperatures have been investigated for extruded Mg-2%Zn and Mg-2%Zn-0.3%Zr alloys, in order to clarify the role of Zr in grain stability of Mg-Zn alloy. The grain size of Zr-free alloy increased continuously with an increase in annealing temperature, when isochronally annealed for 60 min from 573 to 723K, while the grains of the Zr-containing alloy were relatively stable up to 723 K. The activation energies for grain growth ($E_g$) between 573 and 723 K were calculated as 77.8 and 118.6 kJ/mole for the Mg-2%Zn and Mg-2%Zn-0.3%Zr alloys, respectively, which indicates that grains in the Zr-added alloy possess higher thermal stabilities at elevated temperatures. TEM observations on the annealed Mg-2%Zn and Mg-2%Zn-0.3%Zr alloys revealed that enhanced grain stability resulting from Zr addition into Mg-Zn alloy would be ascribed to the restriction of grain growth by stable Zn-Zr nano-precipitates distributed in the microstructure.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.7-15
• /
• 2020

The high-temperature stability of Mg-8.0Zn-1.6Y (wt.%) alloys upon the addition of Ca has been investigated by characterizing the ignition temperature, microstructure, tensile and creep properties. The ignition temperature increases with an increase in the Ca content, indicating that an addition of Ca enhances the ignition resistance of the Mg-Zn-Y alloy. The as-cast microstructures of all tested alloys mainly consisted of the dendritic α-Mg matrix and I-phase (Mg₃Zn₆Y) at the grain boundaries. In the Ca-added Mg-8.0Zn-1.6Y alloys, the Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ phase forms, with this phase fraction increasing with an increase in the Ca contents. However, a high volume fraction of the Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ phase rather deteriorates the mechanical properties. Therefore, a moderate amount of Ca element in Mg-8.0Zn-1.6Y alloys is effective for improving the tensile and creep properties of the Mg-Zn-Y alloy. The Mg-8.0Zn-1.6Y-0.3Ca alloy exhibits the highest tensile strength and the lowest creep strain among the alloys investigated in the present study. The creep resistance of Mg-Zn-Y-Ca alloys depends on the selection of the secondary solidification phase; i.e., when Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ forms in an alloy containing a high level of Ca, the creep resistance deteriorates because Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ is less stable than the I-phase at a high temperature.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.117-125
• /
• 2016

The effects of the Zn content on the microstructure and corrosion behavior in 1M NaCl solution were investigated in Mg-(0~6)%Zn casting alloys. The MgZn phase was scarcely observed in the Mg-1%Zn alloy, while the Mg-(2~6)%Zn alloy consisted of ${\alpha}$-(Mg) and MgZn phases. With an increase in the Zn content, the amount of the MgZn phase was gradually increased. Immersion and electrochemical corrosion tests indicated that the Mg-1%Zn alloy had the lowest corrosion rate among the alloys, and a further increase in the Zn content resulted in the deterioration of the corrosion resistance. Microstructural examinations of the corroded surfaces and EIS analyses of surface corrosion films revealed that the best corrosion resistance at 1%Zn was associated with the absence of MgZn phase particles in the microstructure and the contribution of Zn element to the formation of a protective film on the surface. A micro-galvanic effect by the MgZn particles led to the increased rate of corrosion at a higher Zn content.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.372-379
• /
• 2007

The microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of plasma electrolytic coatings (PEO) coatings on Mg-4.3 wt%Zn-1.0 wt%Y and Mg-1.0 wt%Zn-2.0 wt%Y alloys prepared by gas atomization, followed by compaction at 320 for 10 min under the pressure of 700 MPa and sintering at 380 and 420 respectively for 24 h, were investigated, which was compared with the cast Mg-1.0 wt%Zn alloy. All coatings consisting of MgO and $Mg_2SiO_4$ oxides showed porous and coarse surface features with some volcano top-like pores distributed disorderly and cracks between pores. In particular, the surface of coatings on Mg-1.0 wt%Zn-2.0 wt%Y alloy showed smaller area of pores and cracks compared to the Mg-4.3 wt%Zn-1.0 wt%Y and Mg-1.0 wt%Zn alloys. The cross section micro-hardness of coatings on the gas atomized Mg-Zn-Y alloys was higher than that on the cast Mg-1.0 wt%Zn alloy. Additionally, the coated Mg-1.0 wt%Zn-2.0 wt%Y alloy exhibited the best corrosion resistance in 3.5%NaCl solution. It could be concluded that the addition of Y has a beneficial effect on the formation of protective and hard coatings on Mg alloys by plasma electrolytic oxidation treatment.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.152-157
• /
• 2008

New wrought magnesium alloys have increasingly been developed in recent years for the automotive industry due to their high potential as structural materials for low density and high strength/weight ratio demands. However, their poor mechanical properties and low corrosion resistance have led to a search for new kinds of magnesium alloys with better strength, ductility, and high corrosion resistance. The main objective of this research is to investigate the corrosion behaviour of new magnesium alloys: Mg-Zn-Ag (ZQ), Mg-Zn-Mn-Si (ZSM) and Mg-Zn-Mn-Si-Ca (ZSMX). These ZQ6X, ZSM6X1, and ZSM651+YCa alloys were prepared using hot extrusion. AC, DC polarization and immersion tests were carried out on the extruded rods. Microstructure was examined using optical and electron microscopy (SEM) and EDS. The addition of silver decreased the corrosion resistance. The additions of silicon and calcium also affected the corrosion behaviour. These results can be explained by the effects of alloying elements on the microstructure of Mg-Zn alloys such as grain size and precipitates caused by the change in precipitation and recrystallisation behaviour.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 1999

This study has investigated the effect of aging treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Al-xZn(x = 1.5, 2.5) alloys fabricated by the squeeze casting process. The microstructures of as-squeeze cast were composed of pro-eutectic ${\alpha}$, super saturated ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}(Mg_{17}Al_{12})$ compound. Aged at both $200^{\circ}C$ and $240^{\circ}C$, Mg-6Al-xZn alloys showed the peak hardness due to the formation of ${\beta}(Mg_{17}Al_{12})$ precipitates. The discontinuous precipitates of the lamella type are predominant at $200^{\circ}C$ aging treatment, while the finely dispersed continuous precipitates were dominant at $240^{\circ}C$ aging treatment. Mg-6Al-xZn alloys fabricated by the squeeze casting process had the better combination of tensile strength and elongation compared to the conventionally cast alloys. As zinc contents increased, the tensile strength was increased by the solid solution strengthening effect of zinc.

• Metals and materials international
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.1241-1248
• /
• 2018

The reactive wetting behaviors of molten Zn-Al-Mg alloys on MnO- and amorphous (a-) $SiO_2$-covered steel sheets were investigated by the sessile drop method, as a function of the Al and Mg contents in the alloys. The sessile drop tests were carried out at $460^{\circ}C$ and the variation in the contact angles (${\theta}_c$) of alloys containing 0.2-2.5 wt% Al and 0-3.0 wt% Mg was monitored for 20 s. For all the alloys, the MnO-covered steel substrate exhibited reactive wetting whereas the $a-SiO_2$-covered steel exhibited nonreactive, nonwetting (${\theta}_c>90^{\circ}$) behavior. The MnO layer was rapidly removed by Al and Mg contained in the alloys. The wetting of the MnO-covered steel sheet significantly improved upon increasing the Mg content but decreased upon increasing the Al content, indicating that the surface tension of the alloy droplet is the main factor controlling its wettability. Although the reactions of Al and Mg in molten alloys with the $a-SiO_2$ layer were found to be sluggish, the wettability of Zn-Al-Mg alloys on the $a-SiO_2$ layer improved upon increasing the Al and Mg contents. These results suggest that the wetting of advanced high-strength steel sheets, the surface oxide layer of which consists of a mixture of MnO and $SiO_2$, with Zn-Al-Mg alloys could be most effectively improved by increasing the Mg content of the alloys.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.49 no.6
• /
• pp.440-447
• /
• 2011

To improving the mechanical properties of Mg alloys at high temperature, we investigated the mechanical properties at high temperature and the change of microstructure of Mg-6 wt%Zn-0.4 wt%Mn and Mg-6 wt%Zn-0.4 wt%Mn-1 wt%Ag alloys on age treatment that have a stable MgZn phase at high temperature and $AgMg_4$ improving yield stress. In order to predict thermodynamic data of Mg alloys, a phase diagram and precipitation phase were calculated using a thermodynamic program, and it was confirmed that the MgZn and $AgMg_4$ phase existed as main precipitation in this alloys. The experimental data examined using DSC and XRD were comparable with the calculated data for reliability. In order to analysis the microstructure and precipitate phase during aging treatment, it was measured by SEM/EDS and TEM. Lastly, mechanical properties of the MgZn and $AgMg_4$ phase were measured by a tensile test at high temperature.