Proceedings »
In any industry, the reduction of costs is the driving force for innovation. One method of reducing costs is to research new materials and determine if the new material is a better alternative to previous ones involved in the manufacturing of products. The very low density of Mg alloys may make them an attractive substitution to heavier alloys, but the poor ductility of Mg has prevented their wide-spread application as cold-formed components. Plastic deformation in Mg alloys is strongly affected by the initial texture, and by process conditions, since the operation of non-basal slip systems requires thermal activation. The insufficient number of slip and twinning systems results in the magnesium alloy demonstrating poor formability at room temperature. The small addition of Sn (tin) and Pb (lead) as alloying elements improves the ductility of magnesium alloys. Three alloys, AZ-31 and two modified alloys (“Sn” and “Pb”), were tested using the Advanced Photon source and the results are analyzed. This research supports further investigation on a large scale of Mg alloys being a feasible replacement in cold-formed components.
Author(s):
Carlos Soto
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Western Michigan University
United States
Pnina Ari-Gur
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Western Michigan University
United States
Andrew Kline
Chemical Engineering
Western Michigan University
United States