Effect of Silicon Dioxide-Reinforcement on the Mechanical Properties of AZ91 Alloy through Equal Channel Angular Pressing

Song-Jeng Huang; Chi-En Liu; Sathiyalingam Kannaiyan; Yudhistira Adityawardhana

doi:10.46604/ijeti.2024.14712

Authors

Song-Jeng Huang Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
Chi-En Liu Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
Sathiyalingam Kannaiyan Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
Yudhistira Adityawardhana Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46604/ijeti.2024.14712

Keywords:

AZ91, silicon dioxide, mechanical properties, heat treatment, ECAP

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the enhancement of AZ91 magnesium-aluminum alloy by reinforcing it with 3 wt.% silicon dioxide and processing it through Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP). Specimens with 0 wt.% and 3 wt.% silicon dioxide are fabricated using gravity casting and mechanical stirring, followed by T4 heat treatment and ECAP. Microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that silicon dioxide is uniformly dispersed, refining the grain structure and dissolving the β-phase, leading to improved ductility. Mechanical testing shows that adding 3 wt.% silicon dioxide increases the yield strength (YS) by 15.26% and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) by 23.65% after T4 treatment. ECAP further enhances these values by 19.92% and 41.35%, respectively, while increasing hardness by 15.95%. The improved strength-to-weight ratio makes this alloy suitable for automotive, aerospace, and electronics applications, particularly for lightweight structural components.

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