Michal Salajka

Metallographic Analysis of ECAP Processed Selected Magnesium Alloys

Magnesium alloys has been used for a wide variety of applications, namely from the reason of their low density and high strength–to–weight ratio. The properties of magnesium alloys are connected with microstructure that is influenced by metallurgical and technological aspects. Scope of utilisation of foundry magnesium alloys is continuously being extended, so if we want to operate as competitive producers, it is necessary to investigate very actively properties of individual alloys, optimise their chemical composition, study issues of their metallurgical preparation, verify experimentally their casting properties and conditions of successful casting of castings by individual methods, including heat treatment. Recently, however, increases also utilisation of formed magnesium alloys namely application of SPD methods. The experimental part deals with hardness and structure determination of selected magnesium alloys after ECAP processing.

Combination of ECAP Process and Heat Treatment to Achieve Refining Structure of Selected Magnesium Alloys

One of the ways to the more effective use of metallic materials consists in their processing by forming. At present in this the area the process of severe plastic deformation (SPD process) is used, leading to a refinement of the structure (materials with UFG structure). The main goal of the paper is a review of the current achieved results obtained by processing of magnesium alloy AZ31 by ECAP technology with use of the prototype tool, which was put into service at the Department of Mechanical Technology, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava. The paper describes results of determination of an influence of number of passes through the ECAP tool with helix matrix on the resulting mechanical and micro-structural properties of the processed magnesium alloy AZ31 in the as-cast state and after selected heat treatment methods.