Magnesium alloys for thixomolding applications
AssigneesUT-Battelle, LLC, Leggera Technologies LLC, Fca US LLC
InventorsGovindarajan Muralidharan, Bryan Macek, Nathan Sanko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnesium alloy includes, in weight percent Al: 4.5-6.5; Zn: 0.05-3.0; Ca: 0-1.5; Sn: 0-4.0; Mn: 0.1-0.5; Si: 0-0.5; B+Sr: 0-0.5; less than 0.1 Fe; less than 0.1 Cu; less than 0.01 Ni; and Mg: Balance. A process for thixomolding, and a large dimension magnesium alloy article are also disclosed.
Claims21
A magnesium alloy comprising, in weight percent:
- Al:
- 4.5-6.5;
- Zn:
- 0.1-3.0;
- Ca:
- 0-1.5;
- Sn:
- 0-4.0;
- Mn:
- 0.1-0.5;
- Si:
- 0-0.5;
- B+Sr:
- 0-0.5
- less than 0.1 Fe
- less than 0.1 Cu
- less than 0.01 Ni;
- and,
- Mg:
- balance.
A method of preparing a thixomolded article, comprising the steps of:
- providing a magnesium alloy comprising, in weight percent Al:
- 4.5-6.5;
- Zn:
- 0.05-3.0;
- Ca:
- 0-1.5;
- Sn:
- 0-4.0;
- Mn:
- 0.1-0.5;
- Si:
- 0-0.5;
- B+Sr:
- 0-0.5;
- less than 0.1 Fe;
- less than 0.1 Cu;
- less than 0.01 Ni;
- and Mg:
- balance;
- heating the magnesium alloy to a temperature of 500-600° C., producing a thixotropic alloy comprising 30-65 weight % solids;
- introducing the thixotropic alloy into a mold under a pressure of 50-100 MPa;
- and,
- allowing the thixotropic alloy to cool to produce a solid thixomolded article.
A method of preparing a thixomolded article, comprising the steps of:
- providing a magnesium alloy comprising, in weight percent Al:
- 4.5-6.5;
- Zn:
- 0.05-3.0;
- Ca:
- 0-1.5;
- Sn:
- 0-4.0;
- Mn:
- 0.1-0.5;
- Si:
- 0-0.5;
- B+Sr:
- 0-0.5;
- less than 0.1 Fe;
- less than 0.1 Cu;
- less than 0.01 Ni;
- and Mg:
- balance;
- heating the magnesium alloy to a temperature of 500-600° C., producing a thixotropic alloy comprising 30-65 weight % solids;
- introducing the thixotropic alloy into an open mold under ambient pressure;
- closing the mold to compress the thixotropic alloy and thus fill the mold;
- and,
- allowing the thixotropic alloy to cool to produce a solid thixomolded article.
A thixomolded article, comprising a magnesium alloy comprising, in weight percent Al:
- 4.5-6.5;
- Zn:
- 0.05-3.0;
- Ca:
- 0-1.5;
- Sn:
- 0-4.0;
- Mn:
- 0.1-0.5;
- Si:
- 0-0.5;
- B+Sr:
- 0-0.5;
- less than 0.1 Fe;
- less than 0.1 Cu;
- less than 0.01 Ni;
- and Mg:
- balance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.