A Novel Technique for Improved Recovery of Mg-Analysis of the Microstructure and Physical Properties

Abstract

Aluminium-Magnesium alloys are used widely in industrial applications as well as for the preparation of metal matrix composite because of their low density and high specific strength.  Magnesium has a low boiling point and the recovery of magnesium is poor when it is added in pure form particularly as cheaply available turnings to the liquid metal. Magnesium is added to aluminium for increasing its wettability and thus helping in uniformly distributing ceramic particles used as reinforcement. There have been very few attempts to use the magnesium turnings to produce cast Al-Mg alloys in the range of 3-15% magnesium. A modified stir casting technique was developed using a plunger for making alloy addition by the casting route utilising cheap magnesium turnings. The recovery of Mg was close to 90% and even higher, when added in the form of turnings. In this paper, the density of Al-Mg alloy is predicted with a quadratic model. Also, the percentage of decrease in density for the magnesium alloys increased with increase in magnesium addition and the relation can be represented by a quadratic equation. This technique will be effective on improving the recovery of alloy additions with low density high volatility.