• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.115-120
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• 2014

Microstructural features were comparatively investigated in AZ91 (Mg-9%Al-1%Zn) and AZ91-0.5%Sn alloys, in order to clarify the reason for the enhancement in room temperature tensile properties by the addition of small amount of Sn in Mg-Al-based alloy. In as-cast state, the Sn-containing alloy showed increased YS, UTS and elongation than the Sn-free alloy. The microstructural examination revealed that various factors including finer cell size, reduction of lamellar (${\alpha}+{\beta}$) phase and morphological change of bulky ${\beta}$ phase from partially divorced shape to fully divorced shape, are likely to be responsible for the improvement in tensile properties for the Sn-containing alloy. It is noted that two alloys showed similar tensile properties after solution treatment. This implies that microstructural evolution related to the ${\beta}$ phase plays a key role in better tensile properties in the Sn-containing alloy.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.155-159
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• 2002

Magnesium alloys have high strength to weight ratio and are extremely attractive for applications in transport industry. Most of structural magnesium alloys are manufactured by die casting process. The tensile properties of AZ91HP magnesium alloy were investigated after die casting under various die casting conditions. After die casting by using cold chamber machine, the volume porosity of specimens was examined with density method. With the increase of the volume porosity of specimens, both the tensile strength and elongation were significantly decreased, however the 0.2% offset strength was almost independent of the amount of porosity. With the increase of crystal pressure from 500 to 900 bar during die casting, the volume porosity was decreased, which resulted in the increase of the tensile strength. The mould temperature within the range of $150{\sim}250^{\circ}C$ has not influenced the microstructure with the eutectic phase and tensile properties of specimens. The tensile strength was the highest at 90m/sec of gate speed.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.401-407
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• 2016

In this work, effect of zincate treatment of AZ91 Mg alloy on the following electrodeposition of copper was examined in a non-cyanide bath containing pyrophosphate ions in view of surface morphology and adhesion of the electrodeposited copper layer. Without zincate treatment, the electrodeposited copper layer showed very porous structure and poor adhesion. On the other hand, the copper layer electrodeposited on the zincate-treated surface showed dense structure and good adhesion. The dissolution rate of AZ91 Mg alloy after the zincate treatment appeared to decrease about 40 times in the copper pyrophosphate bath, as compared to that of the surface without zincate treatment. The porous morphology and poor adhesion of a copper layer on the AZ91 Mg alloy surface without zincate treatment were attributed to small number of nucleation sites of copper because of rapid dissolution of the magnesium substrate in the pyrophosphate bath. Based on the experimental results, it is concluded that the zincate treatment to form a conducting and protecting layer on the AZ91 Mg alloy surface is essential for successful electrodeposition of a copper layer on AZ91 Mg alloy with good adhesion and dense structure in the copper pyrophosphate bath.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.233-237
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• 2009

The effect of electrolyte on mechanical and corrosion properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) method was investigated. The coating layers formed in the silicate and the aluminate electrolytes showed porous structures. The small pores were randomly distributed on the coatings formed in aluminate electrolyte while the coatings formed in silicate electrolyte showed much bigger pores. In the aluminate electrolyte, the coatings were composed of Mg, MgO and $MgAl_2O_4$, whereas Mg, MgO, $MgAl_2O_4$ and $Mg_2SiO_4$ were identified in the coatings formed in silicate electrolyte. The hardness of coatings in the silicate electrolyte was higher than that of coating grown in the aluminate electrolyte. The AZ91 alloy coated in the silicate electrolyte had higher tensile strength and elongation than that coated in the aluminate electrolyte. In addition, the coatings formed in the silicate electrolyte showed much better corrosion resistance compared to the coatings formed in the aluminate electrolyte.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2016.11a
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• pp.124.1-124.1
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• 2016

In this work, uniform thickness and good adhesion of electrodeposited copper layer were achieved on AZ91 Mg alloy in alkaline noncyanide copper solution containing pyrophosphate ion by employing appropriate zincate pretreatment. Without zincate pretreatment, the electrodeposited copper layer on AZ91 Mg alloy was porous and showed poor adhesion which was explained by small number of nucleation sites of copper due to rapid dissolution of the magnesium substrate in the pyrophosphate solution. The zincate pretreatment was found as one of the most important steps that can form a conducting layer to cover AZ91 surface which decreased the dissolution rate of AZ91 Mg alloy about 40 times in the copper pyrophosphate solution. Electrodeposited copper layer on AZ91 Mg alloy after an appropriate zincate pretreatment showed good adhesion and uniform thickness with bright surface appearance, independent of the deposition time but the surface roughness of the electrodeposited copper layer increased with increasing Cu deposition time.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.86-91
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• 2006

Magnesium alloys have been widely used for many structural components of automobiles and aircraft because of high specific strength and good castability in spite of hexgonal closed-packed crystal structure of pure magnesium. In this paper, FE analysis was executed about the formability of AZ3l magnesium alloy on press forging process. For this, the variation of sheet temperature, distribution of punch force and the effect of heat transfer and friction between punch and sheet on the forming characteristics during press forging of AZ31 has been analyzed by finite element analysis. In order to obtain temperature dependence of material characteristics, uniaxial tension tests at elevated temperature were done under temperature of $100^{\circ}C\~ 500^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 2008

The characteristics, such as roughness, thickness, microhardness and corrosion resistance, of plasma electrolytic oxide coatings on AZ91D alloy were investigated under the processing condition of various coating times. The coatings on AZ91D alloy consisted of MgO, $MgAl_{2}O_{4}$ and $Mg_{2}SiO_{4}$ oxides. The surface roughness and thickness of coatings became larger with increasing the coating time. The microhardness in cross section of coatings was much higher than not only that in surface but that in the conventional anodic oxide coatings, which increased progressively as the coating time increased. After being immersed in 3.5%NaCl solution and methyl alcohol, the corrosion resistance of AZ91D alloy was markedly improved by plasma electrolytic oxidation coating treatment, and the AZ91D alloy coated for 50min revealed excellent corrosion resistance.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.715-723
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• 1999

Magnesium has been used as wheel materials in the automotive industry for more than 20 years. The magnesium wheels, which are lighter by 25% than aluminum wheels, provide easy controllability providing excellent road holding by the reduction of weight. The purpose of this work is to develop cast AZ91D alloy wheel by sand cast and permanent mold cast. The fluxless melting with the protective gas $(SF_6+CO_2)$ was Performed to eliminate oxidation of melt and impurity. The transfer of molten magnesium to the mold was done by using gas-pressurized Pump system through the heated pipe. The mechanical properites of AZ91D alloy wheel were investigated as a function of heat treatment, ingot composition.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2017

The microstructure, electrical conductivity and hardness variation of an AZ91-5wt%Sn Mg alloy sample during a solid-solution and aging heat treatment were instigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and by Rockwell hardness techniques in this study. The XRD result shows that the main phases in the as-casted alloy are ${\alpha}$-Mg, $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ and $Mg_2Sn$. From the SEM images of the AZ91-5wt%Sn Mg alloy after the solution treatment, the $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ phases in the alloy were found to have dissolved into the matrix with an increase in the holding time during the solution treatment, but $Mg_2Sn$ phases were clearly observable. The highest peak hardness of the AZ91-5wt%Sn Mg alloy is 82HRE at an aging temperature of $200^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.207-216
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• 2017

This study investigated the effects of the addition of Zn, Ca, and SiC on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Al alloys. The tensile properties of homogenized Mg-xAl (x = 6, 7, 8, and 9 wt.%) alloys increased with increasing Zn content by the solid-solution strengthening effect. However, when the added Zn content exceeded the solubility limit, the strength and ductility of the alloys decreased greatly owing to premature fracture caused by undissolved coarse particles or local melting. Among the Mg-xAl-yZn alloys tested in this study, the AZ74 alloy showed the best tensile properties. However, from the viewpoints of the thermal stability, castability, and tensile properties, the AZ92 alloy was deemed to be the most suitable cast alloy. Moreover, the addition of a small amount (0.17 wt.%) of SiC reduced the average grain size of the AZ91 alloy significantly, from $430{\mu}m$ to $73{\mu}m$. As a result, both the strength and the elongation of the AZ91 alloy increased considerably by the grain-boundary hardening effect and the suppression of twinning behavior, respectively. On the other hand, the addition of Ca (0.5-1.5 wt.%) and a combined addition of Ca (0.5-1.5 wt.%) and SiC (0.17 wt.%) increased the average grain size of the AZ91 alloy, which resulted in a decrease in its tensile properties. The SiC-added AZ92 alloy exhibited excellent tensile properties (YS 125 MPa, UTS 282 MPa, and EL 12.3%), which were much higher than those of commercial AZ91 alloy (YS 93 MPa, UTS 192 MPa, and EL 7.0%). The fluidity of the SiC-added AZ92 alloy was slightly lower than that of the AZ91 alloy because of the expansion of the solid-liquid coexistence region in the former. However, the SiC-added AZ92 alloy showed better hot-tearing resistance than the AZ91 alloy owing to its refined grain structure.