CA1053484A - Magnesium alloys - Google Patents

Magnesium alloys

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Publication number
CA1053484A
CA1053484A CA242,643A CA242643A CA1053484A CA 1053484 A CA1053484 A CA 1053484A CA 242643 A CA242643 A CA 242643A CA 1053484 A CA1053484 A CA 1053484A
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
weight
alloy
temperature
thorium
article
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA242,643A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Stephen L. Bradshaw
John F. King
William Unsworth
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Magnesium Elektron Ltd
Original Assignee
Magnesium Elektron Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Magnesium Elektron Ltd filed Critical Magnesium Elektron Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1053484A publication Critical patent/CA1053484A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C23/00Alloys based on magnesium
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C23/00Alloys based on magnesium
    • C22C23/06Alloys based on magnesium with a rare earth metal as the next major constituent
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22FCHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C22F1/00Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
    • C22F1/06Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of magnesium or alloys based thereon

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
  • Powder Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Dental Preparations (AREA)
  • Conductive Materials (AREA)
  • Transition And Organic Metals Composition Catalysts For Addition Polymerization (AREA)
  • Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)
  • Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)
  • Adornments (AREA)

Abstract

A B S T R A C T

Magnesium alloys having favourable mechanical properties at high temperatures contain silver, neodymium and thorium, the permissible content of neodymium varying inversely according to the content of thorium. The alloys are subjected to solution heat treatment followed by ageing to give optimum properties.

Description

This invention relates to magl~esium alloy~.
Magne~ium alloy~ have a very low weight in comparison with alloys of other metals and accordingly find applications, particularly in the aero~pace industry, where a low weight is important. Such alloys having advantageous mechanical propertie~, in particular a high proof ~tress, are described in British Patent Specification No. o75,929.
~ lloys within the scope of the latter specification have been used in aerospace components which are subject to relatively high stress, such as aircraft compressor housing~, helicopter main gearboxes and undercarriage components. To obtain adequate mechanical properties it is neces~ary to subject these alloys to a two-stage heat treatment entailin$ solution treatment at a high temperature, followed by quenching and ageing at a lower ` temperature to improve the mechanical properties by precipitation hardening.
~ lechanical properties thus obtained are well 20 - maintained during exposure to elevated temperatures up to 200C. However, on exposure to temperature~ above 200C~
mechanical properties deteriorate significantly, limiting the applications of such alloys in aircraft and other machinery, especially in engine~ and gearboxes operating in this temperature range~
There have now been found magnesium alloys having satisfactory ten~ile propertie~ at room temperature which retain their advant~geous propertieY, at least to some desree~ at temperatures of the order of 250C.
-2-~r According to one aspect of the pre~ent invention, there i9 provided a magnesium-based alloy containing the following con~tituents by ~eight (other than iron and other impurities):
Silver 1.25 - 3.0%

~are earth metals, of which at least 60% i~ neodymium 0.5 - 2.25 Thorium 0.2 - 1.9%
Zinc 5%
Cadmium 0 - 1~
Lithium 0 - 6%
Calcium 0 - o.8%
Gallium 0 - 2%
Indium 0 - 2%
Thallium 0 - 5%
Lead 0 - .1%
Bismuth 0 - 1%
Copper 0 -0.15%
Zirconiu~ 0 - 1%
Manganese 0 - 2%
Remainder Magnesium the maximum and permissible quantity of zirconium and manganese being limited by their mutual solubility and the total quantity of rare earth metal and thorium being from 1.5 to 2.4%.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the proportion of rare earth metals is 0.5 - 2.1% and the proportion of thorium i~ from 0.3 to 1.9%, the total amount of thorium and rare earth metal3 being 1.5 - 2.4%.

iO5348~
The alloys may ~)e Inade l~ing pure neo(lyll~ m as the rare earth metal but aY pure neodymium is very expensive it i9 preferred to add it in the form of a rare earth ¦
mixture containinS at least` 60% neodymillm. The mixture of rare earth metnls preferably contains not more than 25% of lanthamlm and cerium taken together. It should be noted that yttrium is not classed a~ a rare earth metal. `i In order to develop fully the tensile properties of the alloys of the invention it is necessary to ~ubject them to heat treatment~ firstly at a high temperature to achieve dissolution of the alloying constituents and then at a lower temperature to achieve "ageing" in which precipitatlon hardening takes place. The solution treatment should be carried out at a temperature from ~i85C to the solidus temperature of the alloy for a sufficient time to effect ~olution which may be at least 2 hours. The alloy may then be quenched to room témperature and then aged at a temperature from 100C to 275C for a period of at least ~ an hour; longer times are required at lower temperatures within the stated range.
In general a solution treatment of 8 hours at 525C
is normally satiqfactory. IIo~Yevez the presence of copper in amounts of over 0.19' affects the solidu~ ~o that initial - treatment at a temperature not exceeding 485 C, for example 8 hours at 465 C 9 iS required before the higher temperature treatment.
It has been found that alloys having the above-mentioned quantities of rare earth metals and thorium have advantageous properties both at room and at elevated ~1 (e.g. 250 C) temperatures. If the total alllount of rare earth metal and thorium exceeds 2.4% low elongation at fracture at room temperature i~ observed and if it falls below 1.5% ~oor ca~tability is obtained. Poor room temperature 0.2% proof strength is found at rare earth ~r metal contents below 0.5%. The high temperature mechanical properties deteriorate if the thorium content falls ~elow 0.2%.
A preferred alloy according to the invention contains 2-2.5% silver, 0.9-1.4% rare earth metals, 0.6-l.lq6 thorium and at least 0.4% zirconium, the balance being magnesium.
The desired amount of thorium may conveniently be added in the form of a magnesium-thorium hardener alloy.
The silver content has an effect on the properties of the alloy. The tensile properties deteriorate as the silver decreases although the elongation at fracture increases. The alloy should contain at lea~t 1. 25% of silver and the preferred range is from 1.5 to 3.0%.
- The pre~ence of up to 1% zirconium in the alloy is generally desirable to obtain satisfactory grain-refining.
.
In order to obtain satisfactory castings it is dcYirable to incorporate at least 0.4% of zirconium. It may be desirable to add manganese, but the content of manganese i8 limited by its mutual solubility with zirconium. Part of the desirable minimum of 0. 4% of the zirconium may be replaced by manganese.
Preferred embodiments of alloys according to the invention will be described in the follo-ring Examples.

105;~48~

Further details of the present invention will be discussed with respect to the drawings, wherein:
Figures la through lf show the effect of Nd.Th on tensile properties of QEH alloys with Figure la showing the proof stress at room temperature; Figure lb showing the ultimate tensile strength at room temperature; Figure lc showing elongation at room temperature; Figure ld showing the proof stress at 250C; Figure le showing ultimate ten-sile strength at 250C; and Figure lf showing elongation at 250C. Figures 2 and 3 show a comparison between QE22 and QEH alloys.

'- - 5a -~053484 EXAMPLES
_ AlloyY having the compositionY ~iven below were made by a conventional method. Silver was added either ~
ag pure silver or fro~ an ingot cont~ining 2.5% A~ 8% ~`
rare earthY, Zr o.36% and the rest magneYium. Rare earths were added as a magnesium/neodymium hardener alloy.
Thorillm was added as a magnesium/thorium hardener alloy.
The alloys obtained were subjected to heat treatment initially at a high temperature to effect solution J
followed by quenchins and ageing at a lower temperature.
Initial solution treatment was carried out either for 8 hours at 525C or, for alloys containing significant amounts of copper, for 8 hours at ~65C followed by 8 hours at t 525C. The specimens were then quenched in hot w~ter and aged for 16 hours at 200C.
The mechanical propertieY of the specimen~t thust obtained (0. 2~/o proof stress, ultimate tensile stress and elongation) were measured at room temperature according to British Standard 18 and at 250C according to British Standard 3688. 15 minute soak times at 250C were used.
- In order to investigate the over-aseinS resistance of tlle alloys the same mechanical teYts were carried out but with soak timeY varying from 15 to 120 minutes.
The fatigue resistance of the Yamples was measured using standard Wohler U-notched and un-notched fatigue -~
te~ts. Creep behaviour was determined by plotting the stresY/time relationship for 0.2% creep ~train at 200 C and 250C using a method according to British Standard 3600.

105348~ , l~esults of the tensile property tests are given in Figure 1 which relates to alloys containing 2.5% silver and o.6% zirconium. The rare earth metal content is plotted as ordinate and thorium content as absci~a.
The alloys l~ithin the scope of the pre~ellt invention are within the trape~ium shown on these plots.
It will be seen from the values quoted within the trapezium that the alloys therein have favourable mechanical properties, and those outside are generally inferior. Thuq alloys with increa~ed total rare earth and thorium content (area A) have poorer room temperature elongation (plot c) and those with f a rare earth content below 0.5% have lower proof stress and ultirnate stress (plots (a), (b), (d) and (e) ). AlloyY
having less than 0.2% thorium show inferior high temperature propertie~ and those having a rare earth plus thorium content below lo 5% have been found to have inferior castability (more porosity).
The effect of the thorium content on over-ageing resistance i~ shown in Table 1 belo-~. It will be seen that the high temperature properties for a given degree of ageing are improved by the presence of thorium~ and that these properties are substantially retained on over-ageinS.
The results of Wohler fatigue tests, respectively for un-notched and notched specimens~ are shown in ~`igures 2 and 3. The alloys of these figures are as follows:

,Appro~imate nnalysis %
Ag~are Earths Th Zr 2.5 2.2 - o.6 Qound dots ,3 2.5 o.6 1.3 o.6 Square dot~
2.5 1.0 1 o.6 Trian~ular dots It can be seen that the thorium-containing alloys show maximum stress value~ which are as good as or better than those of the alloy not containing thorium, especially for un-notched specimens. 3j The creep properties of specimen~ were measured at 200C and 250 C. The results ~ere as follows:
Composition %

6 value (100 hours) for2 0.2% creep strain N/mm Agl~are earths Th Zr 200C 250C
2.5 2.2 0 o.6 75 2 2-5 o.8 1 o.6 96 39 It can be seen that the creep properties of the thorium-containing alloy at ele~ated temperatures are , considerably more favourable than those of the known alloy.
The addition of mansanese has no deloterious effect on the tensile and creep properties of the alloy.

Claims (10)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A cast magnesium-based alloy having a 0.2 proof stress of at least 148 N/mm2 at 250°C consisting essen-tially of the following constituents by weight (other than iron and other impruities):

the maximum and permissible quantity of zirconium and man-ganese being limited by their mutual solubility and the total quantity of rare earth metals which contain at least 60% neodymium and thorium being from 1.5 to 2.4%.
2. An alloy according to claim 1, containing at least 0.3% by weight of thorium.
3. An alloy according to claim 1, containing at least 0.4% by weight of zirconium.
4. An alloy according to claims 1 or 2, containing at least 0.4% by weight of zirconium and manganese taken together.
5. An alloy according to claim 1, which contains at least 1.5% silver by weight.
6. An alloy according to claim 5, which contains from 2 to 2.5% by weight of silver, from 0.9 to 1.4% by weight of rare earth metals, from 0.6 to 1.1% by weight of thorium and at least 0.4% by weight of zirconium.
7. A method of making a heat-treated metal article which comprises forming an alloy according to claim 1, into shape subjecting the article to solution heat treat-ment at a temperature from 485°C to the solidus of the alloy, quenching the article and ageing the article at a temperature from 100°C to 275°C for a period of at least 1/2 an hour.
8. A method according to claim 7, in which the article is solution heat treated at a temperature of about 525°C
for 8 hours.
9. A method according to claim 7, in which the alloy contains at least 0.1% by weight of copper and the article is solution heat treated at a temperature not exceeding 485°C followed by treatment at a higher temperature.
10. A method according to claim 7, 8 or 9, in which the alloy is aged at a temperature of about 200°C for a period of about 16 hours.
CA242,643A 1974-12-30 1975-12-29 Magnesium alloys Expired CA1053484A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB5602174A GB1463608A (en) 1974-12-30 1974-12-30 Magnesium alloys

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1053484A true CA1053484A (en) 1979-05-01

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ID=10475539

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CA242,645A Expired CA1066923A (en) 1974-12-30 1975-12-29 Magnesium alloys
CA242,643A Expired CA1053484A (en) 1974-12-30 1975-12-29 Magnesium alloys
CA242,644A Expired CA1047282A (en) 1974-12-30 1975-12-29 Magnesium alloys

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CA242,645A Expired CA1066923A (en) 1974-12-30 1975-12-29 Magnesium alloys

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA242,644A Expired CA1047282A (en) 1974-12-30 1975-12-29 Magnesium alloys

Country Status (14)

Country Link
JP (3) JPS594497B2 (en)
AU (2) AU507250B2 (en)
BE (3) BE837170A (en)
CA (3) CA1066923A (en)
CH (3) CH611650A5 (en)
DE (3) DE2558519C2 (en)
FR (3) FR2296698A1 (en)
GB (1) GB1463608A (en)
IL (3) IL48762A (en)
IN (3) IN155906B (en)
IT (3) IT1052035B (en)
NL (3) NL7515190A (en)
NO (3) NO142580C (en)
SE (3) SE421635B (en)

Families Citing this family (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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JPS6240872U (en) * 1985-08-27 1987-03-11
JPS63174477U (en) * 1987-01-21 1988-11-11
DE10003970B4 (en) * 2000-01-25 2005-09-22 Technische Universität Clausthal Process for producing magnesium alloys having a superplastic microstructure
JP3592310B2 (en) 2001-06-05 2004-11-24 住友電工スチールワイヤー株式会社 Magnesium-based alloy wire and method of manufacturing the same
AUPS311202A0 (en) * 2002-06-21 2002-07-18 Cast Centre Pty Ltd Creep resistant magnesium alloy
WO2007139438A2 (en) * 2006-05-26 2007-12-06 Obschestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostuy 'vniibt-Burovoy Instrument' Worm gerotor pump
BRPI0912151A2 (en) * 2008-06-06 2018-11-06 Synthes Gmbh resorbable magnesium alloy
DE102010008393A1 (en) 2010-02-10 2011-10-06 Technische Universität Dresden Substrate for soil improvement with water-retaining property, process for its preparation and its use
GB201413327D0 (en) 2014-07-28 2014-09-10 Magnesium Elektron Ltd Corrodible downhole article
GB201700714D0 (en) 2017-01-16 2017-03-01 Magnesium Elektron Ltd Corrodible downhole article

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1243398B (en) * 1958-05-16 1967-06-29 Magnesium Elektron Ltd Cast or wrought magnesium alloy containing rare earth metals

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IL48763A0 (en) 1976-02-29
IT1052037B (en) 1981-06-20
BE837171A (en) 1976-04-16
SE421634B (en) 1982-01-18
DE2558519A1 (en) 1976-07-08
NO142580C (en) 1980-09-10
AU8781575A (en) 1977-06-30
NO142582B (en) 1980-06-02
SE421635B (en) 1982-01-18
SE448241B (en) 1987-02-02
AU500182B2 (en) 1979-05-10
DE2558545C2 (en) 1986-03-20
FR2296696A1 (en) 1976-07-30
IL48763A (en) 1978-07-31
IL48761A0 (en) 1976-02-29
IN143219B (en) 1977-10-15
SE7514710L (en) 1976-07-01
CH608832A5 (en) 1979-01-31
DE2558519C2 (en) 1986-03-20
IL48761A (en) 1978-07-31
DE2558545A1 (en) 1976-07-08
BE837170A (en) 1976-04-16
IL48762A (en) 1978-12-17
CH611650A5 (en) 1979-06-15
NO754367L (en) 1976-07-01
NO142581B (en) 1980-06-02
DE2558915C2 (en) 1984-06-14
JPS5918457B2 (en) 1984-04-27
AU8791875A (en) 1977-07-07
NO754344L (en) 1976-07-01
SE7514709L (en) 1976-07-01
GB1463608A (en) 1977-02-02
CA1047282A (en) 1979-01-30
IN155906B (en) 1985-03-23
NO142581C (en) 1980-09-10
SE7514711L (en) 1976-07-01
FR2296696B1 (en) 1981-08-28
IL48762A0 (en) 1976-02-29
IT1052035B (en) 1981-06-20
NL7515191A (en) 1976-07-02
AU8781475A (en) 1977-06-30
NO754345L (en) 1976-07-01
NL7515192A (en) 1976-07-02
FR2296697B1 (en) 1981-08-28
CH608833A5 (en) 1979-01-31
DE2558915A1 (en) 1976-07-08
AU507250B2 (en) 1980-02-07
JPS5856742B2 (en) 1983-12-16
CA1066923A (en) 1979-11-27
BE837169A (en) 1976-04-16
NO142580B (en) 1980-06-02
JPS5192706A (en) 1976-08-14
JPS594497B2 (en) 1984-01-30
IT1052036B (en) 1981-06-20
NL7515190A (en) 1976-07-02
FR2296698B1 (en) 1979-07-13
FR2296698A1 (en) 1976-07-30
FR2296697A1 (en) 1976-07-30
JPS5192708A (en) 1976-08-14
JPS5192707A (en) 1976-08-14
IN142860B (en) 1977-09-03
NO142582C (en) 1980-09-10

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