Search

In the past few decades governmental regulation and consumer demands have lead the automotive companies towards vehicle lightweighting. Powertrain components offer significant potential for vehicle weight reductions. Recently, magnesium alloys have shown promise for use in powertrain applications where creep has been a limiting factor. These systems are Mg-Al based, with alkaline earth or rare earth additions. The solidification, microstructure, and creep behavior of a series of Mg- 4 Al- 4 X:(Ca, Ce, La, and Sr) alloys and a commercially developed AXJ530 (Mg – 5 Al – 3 Ca – 0.15 Sr) alloy (by wt%) have been investigated. The order of decreasing freezing range of the five alloys was: AX44, AXJ530, AJ44, ALa44 and ACe44. All alloys exhibited a solid solution primary α-Mg phase surrounded by an interdendritic region of Mg and intermetallic(s). The primary phase was composed of grains approximately an order of magnitude larger than the cellular structure. All alloys were permanent mold cast directly to creep specimens and AXJ530 specimens were provided in die-cast form. The tensile creep behavior was investigated at 175 °C for stresses ranging from 40 to 100 MPa. The order of decreasing creep resistance was: die-cast AXJ530 and permanent mold cast AXJ530, AX44, AJ44, ALa44 and ACe44. Grain size, solute concentration, and matrix precipitates were the most significant microstructural features that influenced the creep resistance. Decreases in grain size or increases in solute concentration, both Al and the ternary addition, lowered the minimum creep rate. In the Mg-Al-Ca alloys, finely distributed Al2Ca precipitates in the matrix also improved the creep resistance by a factor of ten over the same alloy with coarse precipitates. The morphology of the eutectic region was distinct between alloys but did not contribute to difference in creep behavior. Creep strain distribution for the Mg-Al-Ca alloys developed heterogeneously on the scale of the α-Mg grains. As additional bulk strain accumulated, strain localized along grain boundaries between grains with significantly different Schmid factors. At these locations cavities and cracks formed that led to the eventual creep failure. Grain size influenced the plastic strain distribution during creep.