Contemporary Forming Methods of the Structure and Properties of Cast Magnesium Alloys

Abstract

For the reason of growing requirements for materials made from light alloys concerning mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, manufacturing costs and the influence of the environment this efforts can be consider as very up-to-date from the scientistic view and very attractive for investigation. The rising tendencies of magnesium alloy production, show increased need of their application in world industry and what follows the magnesium alloys become one of the most often apply construction material our century. A contemporary technological development makes it necessary to look for new constructional solutions that aim at the improvement of the effectiveness and quality of a product, at the minimization of dimension and mass as well as the increasing of reliability and dimension stability in the operation conditions. For a dozen or so years one can observe a rising interest in the non-ferrous metals alloys including magnesium alloys which are an examination subject in many research and university centres in the country and abroad as well as in major manufacturers of mechanical engineering industry, chemical, power, textile, electronic, paper and aeronautic industries and in particular automotive, shipbuilding, aircraft, sports and even nuclear industries (Baker, 1999; Dobrzanski and Tanski, 2009; Fajkiel and Dudek, 2004). Magnesium alloys which are successfully used for a long time in different industry branches are a combination of low density and high strength. The above features together with low inertia have significantly contributed to the wide use of magnesium alloys in fast moving elements, in locations where rapid velocity changes occur and in products in which lowering a final mass of a product is required. The greatest interest in magnesium alloys was shown and is still shown by an automotive industry (Figure 1) (Horst and Mordike, 2006; Kainem, 2003; Tanski et al., 2007). For example, General Motors in their big cars (Savana