The Development of Superior Magnesium Alloy AMX602 using a Novel Rapid Solidification Process for Structural Applications

摘要

Since 2006, the U.S. Army has been reevaluating magnesium (Mg) alloys for structural applications1. While Mg-alloys have been used for military structural applications since WWII2, very little research has been done to improve its mediocre ballistic performance. Potential future Army applications for a high strength, high ductility Mg alloy have led to new Mg-alloy grain refinement approaches and new Mgalloy development. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the Joining and Welding Research Institute (JWRI) of Osaka University collaborated (International Technology Center-Pacific (ITC-PAC) Contract Number FA-5209-09-P-0158) to develop a new Mg-alloy, AMX602 using a novel rapid solidification process (Spinning Water Atomization Process, (SWAP)). This paper reports the development, microstructure, mechanical and dynamic response of Mg-alloy AMX602 extruded bars via powder metallurgy process. Preliminary assessments showed up to 33% ballistic performance improvement with over 60% corrosion resistance compared to the standard Mg-alloy AZ31B-H24. Future plans include the scaling up of Mg-alloy AMX602 to plate for structural assessment and developing new Mg-alloys using SWAP for dynamic evaluation.