Microstructures and mechanical responses of powder metallurgy non-combustive magnesium extruded alloy by rapid solidification process in mass production

Abstract

Spinning Water Atomization Process (SWAP), which was one of the rapid solidification processes, promised to produce coarse non-combustible magnesium alloy powder with 1–4 mm length, having fine α-Mg grains and Al 2Ca intermetallic compounds. It had economical and safe benefits in producing coarse Mg alloy powders with very fine microstructures in the mass production process due to its extreme high solidification rate compared to the conventional atomization process. AMX602 (Mg–6%Al–0.5%Mn–2%Ca) powders were compacted at room temperature. Their green compacts with a relative density of about 85% were heated at 573–673 K for 300 s in Ar gas atmosphere, and immediately consolidated by hot extrusion. Microstructure observation and evaluation of mechanical properties of the extruded AMX602 alloys were carried out. The uniform and fine microstructures with grains less than 0.45–0.8 μm via dynamic recrystallization during hot extrusion were observed, and were much small compared to the extruded AMX602 alloy fabricated by using cast ingot. The extremely fine intermetallic compounds 200–500 nm diameter were uniformly distributed in the matrix of powder metallurgy (P/M) extruded alloys. These microstructures caused excellent mechanical properties of the wrought alloys. For example, in the case of AMX602 alloys extruded at 573 K, the tensile strength (TS) of 447 MPa, yield stress (YS) of 425 MPa and 9.6% elongation were obtained.