Elastic Properties and Internal Friction of Two Magnesium Alloys at Elevated Temperatures

Abstract

The elastic properties and internal friction of two magnesium alloys were studied from 25 C to 450 C using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS). The Young's moduli decrease with increasing temperature. At 200 C, a change in the temperature dependence of the elastic constants is observed. The internal friction increases significantly with increasing temperature above 200 C. The observed changes in the temperature dependence of the elastic constants and the internal friction are the result of anelastic relaxation by grain boundary sliding at elevated temperatures. Elastic properties govern the behavior of a materials subjected to stress over a region of strain where the material behaves elastically. The elastic properties, including the Young's modulus (E), shear modulus (G), bulk modulus (B), and Poisson's ratio (?), are of significant interest to many design and engineering applications. The choice of the most appropriate material for a particular application at elevated temperatures therefore requires knowledge of its elastic properties as a function of temperature. In addition, mechanical vibration can cause significant damage in the automotive, aerospace, and architectural industries and thus, the ability of a material to dissipate elastic strain energy in materials, known as damping or internal friction, is also important property. Internal friction can be the result of a wide range of physical mechanisms, and depends on the material, temperature, and frequency of the loading. When utilized effectively in engineering applications, the damping capacity of a material can remove undesirable noise and vibration as heat to the surroundings. The elastic properties of materials can be determined by static or dynamic methods. Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS), used in this study, is a unique and sophisticated non-destructive dynamic technique for determining the complete elastic tensor of a solid by measuring the resonant spectrum of mechanical resonance for a sample of known geometry, dimensions, and mass. In addition, RUS allows determination of internal friction, or damping, at different frequencies and temperatures. Polycrystalline pure magnesium (Mg) exhibits excellent high damping properties. However, the poor mechanical properties limit the applications of pure Mg. Although alloying can improve the mechanical properties of Mg, the damping properties are reduced with additions of alloying elements. Therefore, it becomes necessary to study and develop Mg-alloys with simultaneous high damping capacity and improved mechanical properties. Moreover, studies involving the high temperature dynamic elastic properties of Mg alloys are limited. In this study, the elastic properties and internal friction of two magnesium alloys were studied at elevated temperatures using RUS. The effect of alloy composition and grain size was investigated. The wrought magnesium alloys AZ31 and ZK60 were employed. Table 1 gives the nominal chemical compositions of these two alloys. The ZK60 alloy is a commercial extruded plate with a T5 temper, i.e. solution-treated at 535 C for two hours, quenched in hot water, and aged at 185 C for 24 hours. The AZ31 alloy is a commercial rolled plate with a H24 temper, i.e. strain hardened and partially annealed.