Magnesium Alloys

The American Foundry Society Technical Dept., Schaumburg, Illiniois

C ast magnesium alloys have gained The conversion of this military helicopter
transmission housing from a fabrication to
more popularity in recent years due a magnesium casting allowed for a 30%
to their ability to maintain high cost reduction and lowered scrap
strengths at light weights. Mag- rate by 40%.
nesium possesses unique
properties that can open the
door to important markets
for structural applications case with magnesium al-
and has gained widespread loys. As a result, there have
use in automotive compo- been few problems associ-
nents. Further, non-automo- ated with the dimensional
tive applications, spurred on change of castings in assem-
by the computer, electronics blies. Magnesium shrinkage
and power tool industries, con- rates are more consistent and
tinue to expand. predictable in comparison
Magnesium has a density two- to other nonferrous metals.
thirds that of aluminum and only Components release from the
slightly higher than that of fiber-reinforced die with minimal force and
plastics and possesses excellent mechanical distortion, hence they have
and physical properties (Tables 1-2). When minimal residual casting stress.
coupled with the inherent advantages Impact & Dent Resistance
of the metalcasting process, magnesium The elastic energy absorption
alloys yield cost-effective solutions to stable final dimensions. characteristics of magnesium result
product needs by allowing for part con- Metallurgical changes in the in good impact and dent resistance
solidation and weight savings over other structure of some metals can affect and energy management, which is
materials and manufacturing methods. dimensions after prolonged exposure to one reason magnesium castings can
elevated temperatures, but this is not the be used for automotive safety-related
Advantages of Magnesium
Magnesium alloy properties can pro-
vide a casting designer with several ad- Table 1. Typical Mechanical Properties of Magnesium at Room Temperature
vantages as an engineering material over Property Unit AZ91 AM60 AM50 AM20 AS41 AS21 AE42
other lightweight alloys. Ultimate Tensile Strength MPa 240 225 210 190 215 175 230
WeightThe lightest of all structural (250) (240) (230) (210) (240) (220) (230)
metals, magnesium preserves the light Tensile Yield Strength MPa 160 130 125 90 140 110 145
weight of a design without sacrificing (0.2% offset ) (160) (130) (125) (90) (140) (120) (145)
strength and rigidity (Fig. 1). This benefit Compressive Yield Strength MPa 160 130 125 90 140 110 145
is important when portability is a key Fracture Elongation % 3 8 10 12 6 9 10
element of the product design, such as (7) (13) (15) (20) (15) (13) (11)
with chainsaws, pneumatic nailers, circu- Elastic Modulus, tension GPa 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
lar saws, luggage, laptop computers and Elastic Modulus, shear GPa 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
cellular phones. Automobiles and other
Brinell Hardness 70 65 60 45 60 55 60
transportation equipment continue to take
advantage of magnesiums low density in Impact Strength J 6 17 18 18 4 5 5
Charpy un-notched test bars (9) (18) (18) (18) (16) (12) (12)
expanding application areas ranging from
under-hood and driveline uses found Note: Values in parentheses show mean property values obtained from separately diecast test bars.
in engine brackets and transfer cases to Table 2. Typical Physical Properties of Magnesium
numerous interior parts, such as steering Property Unit Temp (F) AZ91 AM60 AM50 AM20 AS41 AS21 AE42
column components, pedal brackets, in-
Density g/cu cm 68 1.81 1.8 1.77 1.75 1.77 1.76 1.79
strument panel supports and seating.
Damping CapacityMagnesium Liquidus Temperature F 1,110 1,139 1,148 1,182 1,144 1,169 1,157
is unique among metals because of Incipient Melting
its ability to absorb energy. Increased Temperature F 788-815 788-815 788-815 788-815 788-815 788-815 1094

vibration absorption capacity provides Linear Thermal

Expansion Coefficient m/m 68-212 26 26 26 26 26.1 26.1 26.1
for quieter operation of equipment
when magnesium castings are used for Specific Heat of Fusion kJ/kg 370 370 370 370 370 370 370
housings and enclosures. Specific Heat kJ/kg*K 68 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.02
Dimensional StabilityAnnealing, ar- Thermal Conductivity W/K*m 68 51 61 65 94 68 84 84
tificial-aging or stress-relieving treatments
Electrical Conductivity MS/m 68 6.6 nm 9.1 13.1 nm 10.8 11.7
normally are not necessary to achieve

2006 CASTING SOURCE DIRECTORY ENGINEERED CASTING SOLUTIONS 41

applications, such as air
bag systems. Portable tools
and handheld electron-
ics also benefit from this
combination of proper-
ties, offering mechanical
shock resistance.
Anti-GallingMagne-
sium alloys possess a low
galling tendency and can
be used as a bearing sur-
face in conjunction with
a shaft hardness above 400
Brinell measurement.
Alloy Families
Fig. 1. Magnesiums light weight has allowed it to become the alloy of choice alloy is AZ91. In the alloy
Magnesium alloys can for a number of new markets and applications, such as the automotive, power nomenclature, the letters
be used in multiple ap- tool, computer and electronics industries.
plications, but they easily
can be divided into two
groups: sand casting alloys and diecast-
ing alloys. Alloys also can be classified as
general purpose, high-duc-
tility and high-temperature
alloys. Most magnesium alloys are pro-
duced as high-purity versions
to reduce potential corro-
sion problems associated
with higher levels of iron,
nickel and copper. Sand
casting alloys often are
produced with a fine grain
structure due to small ad-
ditions of zirconium.
Aluminum is the prin-
cipal alloying element for
many magnesium alloys as
it can improve the mechan-
ical strength, corrosion
properties and castability
of magnesium castings.
The most widely used gen-
eral purpose sand casting
A and Z denote the ma-
jor alloy. However, not all
properties improve with
aluminum and zinc additions. Ductil-
ity and fracture toughness are gradually
reduced when more aluminum is added.
This effect led to the introduction of a
series of alloys with reduced aluminum
contents (the AM series), which is used
extensively for automotive safety-related
components. These include manganese,
which is added to control the iron content
of the alloys. Several alloys, such as AM60
(6% aluminum, 0.05% manganese), have
found widespread applications in parts,
including instrument panel supports, steer-
ing wheel armatures and seat parts.
Some applications expose the cast-
ing to higher operating temperatures or
continuous stresses that lead to concerns
about long-term deformation and creep.
Castings for use in higher temperature
service conditions can be produced in al-
loys, such as the AS and AE series, based
on the addition of either silicon or rare
earth elements (E), which promote the
formation of finely dispersed particles at
the grain boundaries.
Recent property and castability im-
provements have been shown with new
magnesium creep-resistant alloys that
use specialized rare earth elements, such
as calcium or strontium, as the significant
alloying elements. These new alloys can
produce cast components with superior

This engine cradle for a high-performance sports

car was redesigned from a low-pressure alumi-
num permanent mold casting to two different
processes: a magnesium vacuum die casting
(top), which helped lower porosity defects; and
a low-pressure permanent mold magnesium
casting (bottom), which allowed for a sand
core to form a hollow cross support beam
rather than the ribbed support design of
the die casting.

42 ENGINEERED CASTING SOLUTIONS 2006 CASTING SOURCE DIRECTORY

mechanical properties at in-service higher This 2.3-lb AM60B magnesium shift tower
assembly is a one-piece diecast component.
temperature ranges. Converted from a multiple steel fabrication,
the magnesium casting design resulted in a
Casting Processes 75% weight savings.
Along with magnesiums multiple al-
loys, the material can be cast by a variety
of methods, including high-pressure
diecasting, permanent mold casting, sand
casting, semi-solid and squeeze casting.
Different alloys may be specified for these
different processes, but in cases where the
same alloy is used with different casting
processes, the properties of the finished
castings will depend on the method.
The most prevalent casting method for
magnesium is diecasting. In this process,
complex, thin-walled parts are produced
at high production rates aided by the low-
heat content per volume of molten metal.
Both hot chamber and cold chamber ma-
chines currently are used for magnesium.
For optimum performance, it is recom-
mended that higher shot speeds are used machine and is the standard of the
for magnesium compared to aluminum, cutting tool industry when comparing
especially for thin-walled parts. Diecast- machinability of metals. The low power
ing process variants (such as vacuum requirements for machining magnesium
diecasting) can produce components with aluminum, molten magnesium does alloys permit the use of deeper cuts and
lower porosity and better properties than not react with tool steels, resulting in higher feed rates, thus permitting fast
standard diecasting. longer die life and increased productiv- and efficient machining when compared
Magnesium also is conducive to using ity. Because of low erosion and reduced to other metals. Magnesium alloys also
semi-solid casting methods, typically with heat input, which reduce the propensity normally produce well-broken chips,
magnesium alloy granules or partially for thermal fatigue (heat checking of the which are easy to handle. ECS
solidified alloys rather than liquid mag- die), casting magnesium can warrant This article was adapted with permission
nesium. Semi-solid molding commonly is three to four times the die life than if from materials prepared by the Interna-
used for smaller parts, such as those used aluminum were used. tional Magnesium Assn., McLean, Va.,
in the electronics industry. MachiningMagnesium is recognized and the North American Die Casting
as the easiest of structural metals to Assn., Wheeling, Ill.
Design Considerations
When evaluating the various alloys
and processes for a magnesium casting,
there are a number of characteristics to
consider to obtain a quality, low-cost
component. This includes the
end-use application, the post-
casting operations and how
casting magnesium will factor
into tooling costs.
High Stiffness-to-Weight Ra-
tioThis characteristic is important
where resistance to deflection is desired
in a lightweight component.
Improved Die LifeUnlike molten

Cast through the rubber plaster molding process in AZ91D

magnesium alloy, this projector frame and interface offered the
customer improved durability and rigidity, high heat tolerance
and eliminated EMI plating requirements when compared to its
previous plastic injection mold design.

2006 CASTING SOURCE DIRECTORY ENGINEERED CASTING SOLUTIONS 43