Improvement of wear and corrosion resistance of AZ91 magnesium alloy by applying Ni-SiC nanocomposite coating via pulse electrodeposition

To improve the surface properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy, Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings with various SiC contents were pulse electrodeposited in modified Watts baths containing SiC nano-particles with the concentration of 0-15 g/L. The morphology of the coatings was studied by scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The SiC content of the coatings was measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） analyzer. Microhardness measurement of the coatings showed up to 600% enhancement for the sample produced from the bath with 15 g/L SiC. The corrosion behavior of the coated AZ91 alloy was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization method. The results reveal a significant improvement in the corrosion resistance, that is, the corrosion current density decreases from 0.13 mA/cm2 for uncoated specimen to 1.74x10-6 mA/cm2 for the sample coated from the bath containing 15 g/L SiC and the corrosion potential increases from -1.6 V for uncoated specimen to -0.31 V for the sample coated from the bath. The wear resistance of both coated and uncoated samples was evaluated by pin-on-disc tribotester. The results show that the wear volume loss of coated sample is 8 times less than the bare alloy.

Non-flux purification behavior of AZ91 magnesium alloy

The effects of non-flux purification techniques on the mechanical properties and microstructure of AZ91 magnesium alloy were investigated by ICP,OM,XRD and SEM.The results show that Ar spraying with high flow rate could remove non-metallic inclusions and improve the mechanical properties of AZ91.The alloy obtains the best properties after argon spraying for 30 min at the melt temperature of 740 °C.The ceramic foam filter(CFF) could effectively improve the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of AZ91 alloy,especially the elongation,which increase with increasing pores per inch(ppi) and the thickness of CFF.Non-flux purification does not change the microstructure of AZ91 alloy.However,filtration has a certain effect on the fracture pattern of AZ91 alloy.To improve the mechanical properties effectively,both filtration and gas spraying should be utilized together.

Microstructures and tensile properties of submerged friction stir processed AZ91 magnesium alloy

6 mm thick AZ91 casting alloy plates were subjected to normal friction stir processing(NFSP,in air)and submerged friction stir processing(SFSP,under water),and microstructures and tensile properties of the experimental materials were investigated.After FSP,the coarse microstructures in the as-cast condition are replaced by fine and equiaxed grains and the network-like eutecticβ-Mg_(17)Al_(12)phases disappear and are changed into particles pinned at the grain boundaries.SFSP results in further grain refinement in comparison with NFSP,and the average grain sizes of the NFSP and SFSP alloys are 8.4±1.3 and 2.8±0.8µm,respectively.XRD results reveal that the intensity ofβ-Mg_(17)Al_(12)diffraction peaks in the SFSP specimen decreases compared with NFSP.Due to significant grain refinement,the tensile strength and elongation of the SFSP AZ91 alloy are increased from 262 MPa and 18.9%for the NFSP material to 282 MPa and 25.4%,and the tensile strength(282 MPa)is nearly three times that of the BM(105 MPa).SFSP is an effective approach to refine the grain size and enhance the tensile properties of AZ91 casting alloy.

High strain rate superplasticity of rolled AZ91 magnesium alloy

The high strain rate superplastic deformation properties and characteristics of a rolled AZ91 magnesium alloy at temperatures ranging from 623 to 698 K（0.67Tm-0.76Tm） and high strain rates ranging from 10^-3 to 1 s^-1 were investigated.The rolled AZ91 magnesium alloy possesses excellent superplasticity with the maximum elongation of 455% at 623 K and a strain rate of 10-3 s-1,and its strain rate sensitivity m is high up to 0.64.The dominant deformation mechanism responsible for the high strain rate superplasticity is still grain boundary sliding（GBS）,and the dislocation creep mechanism is considered as the main accommodation mechanism.

Effect of pre-homogenizing treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of hot-rolled AZ91 magnesium alloys

To improve the homogeneity and rolling formability of as-cast AZ91 magnesium,the effects of pre-homogenizing treatment on microstructure evolution,deformation mechanism,mechanical properties and tensile fracture morphology of hot-rolled AZ91 magnesium alloy were studied.The results showed that the amount of coarseβ-Mg17Al12 phase decreases dramatically,being distributed along the grain boundaries as small strips after homogenizing.Twining plays a dominant role in the deformation mechanism of AZ91 alloys in the experimental condition,while dynamic recrystallization(DRX)considerably occurred in homogenized-rolled alloys,contributed to microstructure uniformity andβ-Mg17Al12 phase precipitated refinement.The tensile strength of homogenized-rolled AZ91 alloys increases dramatically with elongation declining slightly in contrast to homogenized alloys.The fracture surface of homogenized-rolled specimen exhibits more ductile fracture with the manifestation of a large amount of dimples distributing higher density in matrix,while the micro cracks are prone to initiate around the Mg/Mg17Al12 phase interface and grain boundaries owing to the fragile interface bonding of two phases.

Effect of tool plunge depth on the microstructure and fracture behavior of refill friction stir spot welded AZ91 magnesium alloy joints

We used refill friction stir spot welding(RFSSW)to join 2-mm-thick AZ91D-H24 magnesium alloy sheets,and we investigated in detail the effect of tool plunge depth on the microstructure and fracture behavior of the joints.A sound joint surface can be obtained using plunge depths of 2.0 and 2.5 mm.Plunge depth was found to significantly affect the height of the hook,with greater plunge depths corresponding to more severe upward bending of the hook,which compromised the tensile-shear properties of the joints.The hardness reached a minimum at the thermo-mechanically affected zone due to the precipitation phases of this zone as it dissolved into theα-matrix during the welding process.The fracture modes of RFSSW joints can be divided into three types:shear fracture,plug fracture,and shear–plug fracture.Of these,the joint with a shear–plug fracture exhibited the best tensile-shear load of 6400 N.

Mechanisms of joint formation throughout semisolid stir welding of AZ91 magnesium alloy

Joining in the semisolid state is considered a possible method to join alloys to each other. The mechanisms taking part in semisolid stir welding of AZ91 alloys were investigated. Two 7.5 mm-thick AZ91 pieces and a 2 ram-thick Mg-25%Zn interlayer piece were placed in a heating plate. After holding for 3 min at a desired temperature, the weld seam was stirred by a rotational tool. The heating plate was travelled on a trolley at a constant speed of 4.6 cm/min. In addition, one sample was welded without interlayer. Evolution of welding as a function of stirring rate, tool shape and temperature was studied throughout this welding process with scanning electron and optical microscopes. Interlayer decreases the joining temperature and assists to investigate the possible semisolid stir welding mechanisms. Increasing temperature and stirring rate, and using round stirrer instead of grooved stirrer increase the stir zone width. The results show that some possible mechanisms are helpful to achieve a proper metallurgical bonding in the welding process, such as oxide layer disruption, liquid phase blending, globule joining, and liquid penetration to the base metal, merging a group of globule into stir zone from the base metal.

Feasibility of Al−TiC coating on AZ91 magnesium alloy by TIG alloying method for tribological application

An attempt was made to improve the surface properties of the AZ91 Mg alloy through surface alloying of a mixture of Al and TiC with the help of TIG arc as heat source.The microstructural evolution of the alloyed layer on the AZ91 alloy was analysed through SEM and XRD technique.The micro-hardness and the dry sliding wear behaviour were assessed by Vickers micro-hardness tester and pin-on-disc wear test setup,respectively.It is revealed that almost uniform alloyed layer forms on the AZ91 alloy substrate for a specific current and scan speed employed in the present experiments.The alloyed layer exhibits hardness value up to 305 HV0.25,and almost negligible wear as compared to the as-received AZ91 alloy substrate.

Influence of annealing and spheroidizing treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy

The low-strength and high-brittleness of AZ91 cast magnesium alloy mainly result from the coarse divorced eutectic phase. To solve these problems, the annealing treatment of AZ91 cast magnesium alloy was carried out at 415 ℃ and held for 24 h in this study and the alloy was then slowly cooled to room temperature in furnace. The microstructures of the alloy were observed using a metallographic microscope, a transmission electron microscopy and an emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The phase analysis was performed using the X-ray diffraction, and the tensile test of the specimen at ambient temperature was performed on a material test machine. The results indicate that the coarse divorced eutectic phase dissolves into the Mg matrix during the isothermal process, and the lamellarβ-Mg17AI12 phase precipitates from the magnesium solid solution with a type of pearlite precipitation during furnace cooling. Consequently, the spheroidizing treatment was carried out at 320℃ for 20 h following the annealing process and the lamellar β-Mg17A12 phase was spheroidized. Compared with the as-cast alloy, the strength and ductility of the AZ91 magnesium alloy are increased obviously after annealing treatment; the yield strength and tensile strength are increased to 137.8 MPa and 240.4 MPa from 102.9 MPa and 199.3 MPa, respectively; and the elongation is improved to 6.12% from 4.35%. After being spheroidized, the strength and hardness decrease a little, but the ductility is elevated to 7.23%. The nucleation, growth and spheroidizing mechanism of the lamellarβ-Mg12TAI12 phase were also discussed.

Refinement Role of Electromagnetic Stirring and Calcium in AZ91 Magnesium Alloy

Effects of calcium addition and electromagnetic stirring on the microstructure of AZ91 magnesium alloy and refinement mechanism were investigated. The results show that calcium addition ranging from 0.1wt% to 0.3 wt% does not lead to formation of any new phases but cause the refinement of ascast microstructure.However, combined calcium alloying and electromagnetic stirring significantly decrease the grain size, change the morphologies of the β-Mg17Al12 phases,and reduce their volume percentage. The minimum grain size of AZ91 alloy is obtained in the case of the addition of 0.2 wt%Ca with exciting voltage of 100 V. The microstructural refinement is attributed to the increase of the degree of undercooling and nucleation temperature of primary α-Mg phases on the basis of DTA analysis results.

The Role of Calcium in Microstructural Refinement of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy

The effect of calcium addition on the microstructures of AZ91 magnesium alloy was investigated. It was found that a small amount of calcium in AZ91 allay produced a large decrease in the α- Mg grain size and the dispersed fine β-Mgt7 Alt2 phases. In addition, some Al4Ca particles were found to exist in the AZ91 alloy containing 0.5wt% Ca. EDS analysis and water-quenched technique revealed that the grain-refining mechanism of calcium for the AZ91 alloys was mainly attributed to the role of restricting growth of calcium in the primary α-Mg crystals.

Influence of Cerium on Corrosion of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy

Effect of cerium addition on corrosion resistance of AZ91 magnesium alloy was investigated using the static weight loss and polarization curve method as well as metallographical observation. The results indicate that a small amount of cerium （0.2% - 0.8%） in AZ91 magnesium alloy can significantly reduce the corrosion rate, enhance the electrode voltage and lower corrosion current density in 3.5%NaCl aqueous solution, and AZ91-0.8% Ce alloy has better corrosion resistant performance. The reason for increasing corrosion resistance is attributed to the addition of Ce, refining the α-Mg grain, reducing the segregation of element Al, and improving the morphologies of β-Mg17 Al12 phases.

Effect of process parameters on depth of penetration and topography of AZ91 magnesium alloy in abrasive water jet cutting

In the present study,the influence of dynamic process parameters such as water pressure,traverse speed and abrasive mass flow rate on depth of penetration and surface topography in high strength AZ91 magnesium alloy were investigated using Abrasive Water Jet(AWJ)cutting technology.Process parameters were varied at 3 levels and influences of each parameter on penetration ability were identified using analysis of variance(ANOVA).Contribution of water pressure and traverse speed on jet penetration found higher compared to abrasive mass flow rate.Profile projector was used to measure depth of penetration.Microstructural features and topography of cut surfaces were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM).Micro cutting and ploughing were observed on the top and bottom portion of the cut which were similar to that of modes of deformation in other ductile materials like aluminium and steel.Surface roughness of cut surfaces was measured using Taylor Hobson surface roughness tester.Surface roughness found higher at higher traverse speeds and lower at lower traverse speeds.This study also highlights the suitability of AWJ cutting technology for cutting magnesium and its alloys.

Welded Joint Model Construction and Welding Mechanism of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy

The characteristics of the welding molten pool of AZ91 magnesium alloy were studied and the welding interface model was built using metallographic observation and scanning electorn microscope(SEM) composition analysis.The welding area was divided into heat affected zone(HAZ),liquefaction zone(LZ),rich poly zone(RPZ),sparse zone(SZ) and weld zone(WZ).The analyses of the microstructure and composition of each region show that optimizing the welding process can improve mechanical properties of weld zone.While for LZ,its tensile properties can be strengthened only by improving the composition of the parent metal and the second phase distribution.And the way to improve the tensile properties of LZ,RPZ,and SZ is to give priority to improve the parent metal composition and the second phase distribution,improving welding technology as the complementary method.Furthermore,based on the results above and the analyses of the microstructure and composition of welding cracks,it is found that the tensile fracture is mainly caused by the stress cracking rather than composition crack.

Initial corrosion behaviors of AZ91 magnesium alloy in the presence of SO_2

The effects of SO_2 on the initial atmospheric corrosion of AZ91D magnesiumalloy were investigated in laboratory. Met-allographic observation, SEM (Scanning ElectronMicroscopy), XRD (X-ray Diffraction) and XPS (X-ray Proton Spectrograph) were used to analyze anddiscuss the initial surface morphology of corrosion layers and corrosion products. The corrosionrate of the alloy increases with increasing the content of SO_2. The initial attack has thecharacteristics of localized corrosion and preferentially concentrates on a phase. MgO and Mg(OH)_2form at first, which provide a protective layer, then the existence of SO_2 decreases the pH of thethin solution on the alloy, accelerates dissolution process, and promotes the formation of MgSO_3centre dot 6H_2O and MgSO_4 centre dot 6H_2O, meanwhile cracks were found on the corrosion productswith corrosion continuation. These soluble corrosion products and the cracks provide the paths forfiltering oxygen and corrosion pollutants into the matrix, which results in severe localizedcorrosion and the loss of protective function of film.

Corrosion behavior of micro-arc oxidation coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy in NaCl solutions with different concentrations

Ceramic oxide coatings were prepared on AZ91D magnesium alloys in alkaline silicate solution using micro-arc oxidation（MAO） technique.The corrosion behavior of MAO coating on AZ91D magnesium alloys in NaCl solutions with different concentrations（0.1%,0.5%,1.0%,3.5% and 5.0% in mass fraction） was evaluated by electrochemical measurements and immersion tests.The results showed that the corrosion rate of the MAO coated AZ91D increased with increasing chloride ion concentration.The main form of corrosion failure was localized corrosion for the MAO coated AZ91D immersed in higher concentration NaCl solutions（1.0%,3.5% and 5.0%）,while it was general corrosion in dilute NaCl solutions（0.1% and 0.5%）.Two different stages of the failure process of the MAO coated AZ91D could be identified：1） occurrence of the metastable pits and 2） growth of the pits.Different equivalent circuits were also proposed based on the results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） for the MAO coated AZ91D immersed in different concentrations of NaCl solutions for 120 h.

Effect of current frequency on properties of coating formed by microarc oxidation on AZ91D magnesium alloy

The microarc oxidation（MAO） coatings produced at different current frequencies on AZ91 D magnesium alloys were studied systematically. The morphologies, thickness, corrosion performances, and tribological properties of the coatings were investigated by the scanning electron microscopy, the electrochemical measurement system, and MS-T3000 friction test rig, respectively. The results show that the structure of the coatings becomes denser, and thickness becomes thinner with the increase of the current frequency. It is also found that the corrosion resistance of the coatings produced at higher frequency is improved greatly and the difference of the corrosion current density becomes small with increasing current frequency, which is similar to that of the coating thickness. The tribological test shows that the friction coefficient decreases with increasing the current frequency and the wear resistance of the coatings is influenced by both the thickness and structures. All these results were explained by analyzing the growing process of the MAO coating.

Influence of electric parameters on MAO of AZ91D magnesium alloy using alternative square-wave power source

Micro-arc oxidation （MAO） process was carried out on AZ91D alloy in alkaline borate solution using an alternative square-wave power source with different parameters. The effects of voltage, frequency and duty cycle on the coatings were investigated by orthogonal experiment. It is found that the thickness of coatings increases with the increase of voltage and duty cycle, but decreases with the increase of frequency. The structure and morphology of the coatings also depend on voltage, frequency and duty cycle. The coatings become more porous and crack with increasing voltage and duty cycle. The coating is thin and transparent when the voltage is lower than 120 V. The corrosion resistances of different coatings were evaluated by polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） in 3.5% NaCl （mass fraction） solution. When the optimized values of voltage, frequency and duty cycle are 140 V, 2 000 Hz and 0.4, respectively, the anodic coating shows the best corrosion resistance.

Application of cyclic upsetting-extrusion to semi-solid processing of AZ91D magnesium alloy

The microstructural evolution of AZ91D magnesium alloy prepared by means of the cyclic upsetting-extrusion and partial remelting was investigated. The effects of remelting temperature and holding time on microstructure of semi-solid AZ91D magnesium alloy were studied. Furthermore, tensile properties of thixoextruded AZ91D magnesium alloy components were determined. The results show that the cyclic upsetting-extrusion followed by partial remelting is effective in producing semi-solid AZ91D magnesium alloy for thixofonning. During the partial remelting, with the increase of remelting temperature and holding time, the solid grain size increases and the degree of spheroidization tends to be improved. The tensile mechanical properties of thixoextruded AZ91D magnesium alloy components produced by cyclic upsetting-extrusion and partial remelting are better than those of the same alloy produced by casting.

Effects of processing parameters on microstructure of semi-solid slurry of AZ91D magnesium alloy prepared by gas bubbling

The semi-solid slurry of AZ91 D magnesium alloy was prepared by gas bubbling process.The effect of processing parameters,including gas flow rate,cooling rate and stirring end temperature,on microstructure of AZ91 D semi-solid slurry was investigated.With increasing the gas flow rate from 0 to 5 L/min,the average size of primary α-Mg particles decreases from 119.1 to77.2μm and the average shape factor increases continuously from 0.1 to 0.596.The formation of non-dendritic primary α-Mg particles during gas bubbling is the result of combined effects of dendrite fragmentation and copious nucleation.With increasing the cooling rate from 3.6 to 14.6℃/min,the average particle size of primary α-Mg phase decreases from 105.0 to 68.1μm while the average shape factor peaks at 9.1℃/min.Both high and low cooling rates can induce dendritic growth of primary α-Mg particles.Changing the stirring end temperature from 590 to 595℃ has little effect on the average size and shape factor of primary α-Mg particles in AZ91 D semi-solid slurry.The insensitivity of semi-solid microstructures to the stirring end temperature is attributed to the sufficient quantity of primary particles formed in the melt.