Non-flux purification behavior of AZ91 magnesium alloy

The effects of non-flux purification techniques on the mechanical properties and microstructure of AZ91 magnesium alloy were investigated by ICP, OM, XRD and SEM. The results show that Ar spraying with high flow rate could remove non-metallic inclusions and improve the mechanical properties of AZ91. The alloy obtains the best properties after argon spraying for 30 min at the melt temperature of 740 °C. The ceramic foam filter (CFF) could effectively improve the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of AZ91 alloy, especially the elongation, which increase with increasing pores per inch (ppi) and the thickness of CFF. Non-flux purification does not change the microstructure of AZ91 alloy. However, filtration has a certain effect on the fracture pattern of AZ91 alloy. To improve the mechanical properties effectively, both filtration and gas spraying should be utilized together.