Effect of Na2B4O7 on iron reduction in magnesium alloys AZ31 and AZ91

Effect of Na2B4O7, a new iron reduction agent, on iron reduction in magnesium alloys AZ31 and AZ91 was studied. The iron contents in the magnesium alloy AZ31 and AZ91 reduce dramatically to less than 0.002% (mass fraction) with the increasing addition of Na2B4O7, and the corrosion resistance of the alloys was greatly improved. According to the thermodynamic analysis and the iron and boron distributions in different parts of the alloy melts, it can be inferred that the mechanism for iron reduction in magnesium alloys by Na2B4O7 processing is that boron atoms combine with iron atoms and settle down in the melting sludge. The XRD result confirms it.