Feasibility study on utilizing carbon dioxide during the processing of Mg-Al alloys

The feasibility of utilizing carbon dioxide (CO₂) during magnesium-aluminium (Mg-Al) alloys processing was investigated by incorporating CO₂ gas during melting and casting of the alloys. Mg-Al alloys containing ∼3 wt.% and ∼5 wt.% Al were processed with and without CO₂ atmosphere using the disintegrated melt deposition (DMD) technique. The cast alloys after extrusion were characterized for their structural, physical and mechanical properties to identify the utilization of carbon dioxide during processing. Results indicated that sound, defect-free Mg-Alloys were produced with CO₂ processing. Improvement in mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength and compressive yield strength were observed. The in situ formation of Al₄C₃ phase during processing was identified as the reason for the improvement in the properties, which indicated the utilization of carbon dioxide by the melt.