Microstructures and properties ofaz91d magnesium alloy produced by forced convection mixing rheo-diecasting process

Based on the forced convection mixing (FCM) principle, a self-developed FCM semisolid slurry preparation device was successfully developed. Taking AZ91D magnesium alloy tensile parts for example, the rheo-diecasting process that consists of slurry preparation, transportation and forming was achieved by combining with a diecasting machine. Microstructural characteristics of FCM rheo-diecasting parts in different processing parameters were investigated. Mechanical properties of AZ91D alloy parts in different processes were compared. Besides, the formation mechanism and solidification behavior of semisolid slurry were analyzed in FCM rheo-diecasting process. The results show that processing parameters have a great effect on the microstructures of parts, increasing rotation speed or decreasing barrel temperature appropriately is beneficial to optimizing the microstructure. The process not only can produce parts with fine, spherical and uniformly distributed primary a-Mg particles, but also is able to improve mechanical performance of parts significantly. Compared with traditional diecasting, the yield strength remains unchanged, but the ultimate strength and elongation are increased by 12.5% and 80.0%, respectively. Furthermore, compared with parts subjected to T4 and T6 heat treatment, the ultimate strength of the as-cast is the lowest, and the yield strength and elongation are between T4 and T6. © All right reserved.