Investment Castings of Magnesium Alloys: A Road Map and Challenges

Abstract

In the manufacturing sector, the processing of magnesium alloys through the liquid casting route is one of the promising methods to manufacture automotive and aircraft components, for their excellent mechanical properties at the lower weight. Investment casting process has the great cabaility to produce near net shape complex castings for automotive and aircraft applications. The distinct and attractive engineering properties of magnesium alloys have shown to be promising in terms of its potential to replace materials such as cast iron, steel, and aluminum In this regard, the efforts to develop processing technology for these alloys for their wide range of applications in industries have been reported by the scientific and engineering community. For successful production of magnesium alloy castings, it requires specialized foundry techniques because of the particular chemical and physical properties of magnesium; especially the reactive and oxidative nature of these alloys. The industry is young enough, to tap the potential.

Keywords

• magnesium
• investment casting
• reactions
• melting