Effect of flux composition on mould-magnesium reaction during in-situ melting

Abstract

Magnesium alloys, due to their low density and excellent specific strength, are known as advanced materials for ultra light and low energy consumption purposes. The present study is to investigate the effect of using different covering flux compositions on mould-metal reaction during in-situ melting of AZ91D magnesium alloy. In this study the alloy in the form of granules was charged into a ceramic shell mould and heated up under argon atmosphere and the covering fluxes to different temperatures until it was melted and filled the mould at the possible lowest temperature. Thermal analysis was used to explore the melting behavior of the granules during using in-situ melting technique. Results showed that employing covering flux is necessary to approach to a lower temperature for melting. In addition, it diminished the mould metal reaction which led to a higher quality casting surface. Moreover, the granules showed the characteristic temperatures similar to the bulk material melting. Post publication note (26 July 2012): The order of the authors has been updated and an affiliation has been added.