Magnesium Alloy Development
1️⃣Magnesium Alloy Development in China
The development history of magnesium alloys in China can be traced back to the 1950s and 1960s. The following are the main milestone events:
In 1958, China started the development of magnesium smelting industry.
In 1965, China successfully developed its first magnesium alloy, the AZ31B alloy. This alloy is mainly used in the military field.
In the 1970s, China began to establish magnesium alloy production lines. At the same time, important progress has been made in the research and development of magnesium alloy materials.
In the early 1980s, China's magnesium alloy production began to grow rapidly. At the same time, many new magnesium alloy materials have appeared, such as AZ91D and AM60B. These alloy materials are widely used in aviation, aerospace, automobile, electronics and other fields.
In the 1990s, China continued to strengthen the development of the magnesium alloy industry. The focus of this period is to develop higher performance and more competitive magnesium alloy materials.
Since the 2000s, China's magnesium alloy production and technical level have been further improved. With the development of global automobile, aviation and other industries, the demand for lightweight and high-strength materials is also increasing, which also provides greater opportunities for the development of China's magnesium alloy industry.
Generally speaking, China's magnesium alloy industry is constantly growing and has made remarkable achievements. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous growth of demand, China's magnesium alloy industry will continue to usher in a broader development prospect.
In 2003, China successfully produced the world's largest cast magnesium alloy for the first time, laying a solid foundation for the development of China's magnesium alloy industry.rewrite
2️⃣Achieved substantial advancements in China
Magnesium resources are an excellent material that is practically inexhaustible and offers significant energy-saving and emission reduction benefits throughout the entire lifecycle of magnesium alloy components, as evaluated by the International Magnesium Association. Chinese research institutions have achieved substantial advancements in recent years.
Through solid solution strengthening, introducing suitable atoms into the magnesium matrix increases resistance to basal slip while moderately reducing resistance to non-basal slip, ultimately enhancing plasticity. Initially, by substituting certain magnesium atoms with appropriate atoms within the magnesium matrix, the resistance to slip is increased, leading to improved resistance to basal slip. Different types of atoms can achieve varying effects. To achieve both strength and increased plasticity, it is necessary to activate slip on non-basal planes. This requires a moderate reduction in the resistance to non-basal slip while increasing the resistance to basal slip, thus enhancing material plasticity.
Effective enhancement of magnesium alloy's crack resistance can be achieved through methods such as grain refinement, melt purification, and optimized mold structure design. Firstly, alloy optimization involves designing alloys with narrower temperature test ranges and adding grain refiners to produce fine-grained alloys. Secondly, thorough melt purification is found to effectively reduce hot cracking defects in magnesium alloys. Thirdly, mold structure design plays a crucial role. A well-designed mold can effectively avoid hot spots and reduce the risk of hot cracking. Fourthly, process optimization, such as die casting mold temperature, significantly enhances magnesium alloy's crack resistance.
Surface protection and overall shaping of magnesium alloy products are significantly improved through processes like anodization and enhanced corrosion resistance. Magnesium alloy products with surface protection benefit from appropriate surface treatments, resulting in visually appealing products. On one hand, the research includes magnesium alloy anodization technology. By adjusting the electrolyte formulation and process for environmentally friendly AZ31 magnesium alloy anodization, a suitable anodization film formulation and process can be achieved. On the other hand, the use of aluminum oxide increases the anodizing corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys.
3️⃣Promoting High-Quality Development in the Casting and Forging Industry
Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development and Reform Commission, and Ministry of Ecology and Environment on Promoting High-Quality Development in the Casting and Forging Industry Doc No. MIIT-Unicom-Zhuang〔2023〕40 By 2025, the overall level of the casting and forging industry will be further improved, and its ability to ensure the safety and stability of the industrial chain and supply chain of equipment manufacturing will be significantly enhanced. The industrial structure will become more rational, and the industrial layout and production factors will be more coordinated. Breakthroughs will be made in key areas such as high-end castings and forgings, and a number of core technologies with independent intellectual property rights will be mastered, achieving industrial application of advanced process technologies such as integrated die-casting forming, moldless casting, sand mold 3D printing, ultra-high-strength steel hot forming, precision cold/warm/hot forging, and lightweight high-strength alloy lightweighting. More than 10 industry clusters with demonstration effect will be established, and a good ecosystem of collaborative development of large, medium, and small enterprises and upstream and downstream of the industry chain will be initially formed. The effect of intelligent transformation will be highlighted, and more than 30 intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories will be built. More than 100 green factories will be cultivated, and the emission of particulate matter in the casting industry will be reduced by more than 30% compared with that in 2020, and the annual recycling and reuse of casting waste sand will reach over 8 million tons, while the energy consumption of one ton of forgings will be reduced by 5% compared with that in 2020.
By 2035, the overall level of the industry will enter the international advanced ranks, forming a complete industrial technology system and sustainable innovation capability, and the resilience of the industrial chain and supply chain will be significantly enhanced. The level of green development will be greatly improved, a number of world-class high-quality enterprise groups will be cultivated and developed, and advanced manufacturing clusters with international competitiveness will be formed.