Some studies on hot extrusion of rapidly solidified Mg alloys

Rapidly solidified magnesium alloys show great potential for application in automotive and aerospace industries. In this study, Mg-Al-Zn alloys (AZ91) were rapidly solidified by a melt-spinning process to form ribbons. Pulverized ribbons were cold-compacted and then hot-extruded to form rods. During extrusion, a specially designed die with constant strain rate profile was used and found to be advantageous. By properly establishing the complete process, extruded rods of rapidly solidified AZ91 alloys exhibiting good combination of room temperature strength and ductility were produced. Microstructural investigations were carried out on melt-spun ribbons and extruded rods. Effects of extrusion die shape, extrusion ratio, and extrusion temperature on mechanical properties of the extruded rods were also investigated.