Overview

Defect Control of Magnesium Alloy Gigacastings

  • JIANG Bin ,
  • ZHANG Ang ,
  • SONG Jiangfeng ,
  • LI Tian ,
  • YOU Guoqiang ,
  • ZHENG Jiang ,
  • PAN Fusheng
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  • National Key Laboratory of Advanced Casting Technologies, National Engineering Research Center for Magnesium Alloys, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
ZHANG Ang, Tel: 18811328068, E-mail: angzhang@cqu.edu.cn

Received date: 2024-09-03

  Revised date: 2024-11-21

  Online published: 2024-12-11

Supported by

National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFB3701000);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52471118);National Natural Science Foundation of China(U21A2048);Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST(2022QNRC001)

Abstract

The demand for lightweighting is rapidly increasing to meet the carbon peak and neutrality goals. Gigacasting integrates stamping and welding processes into a single high-pressure die-casting operation, streamlining production workflows and considerably enhancing production efficiency, thereby accelerating advancements in automotive lightweighting. Magnesium alloys, which are the lightest metallic structural materials at present, are superior choices for lightweighting because of their low density, high strength, and excellent casting performance. Magnesium alloy gigacasting has enormous potential for automotive applications, enabling the production of lightweight automotive components with superior mechanical properties. However, this process faces challenges because magnesium alloys' active chemical properties and high susceptibility to hot tearing, combined with their large size, thin wall thickness, and complex geometries, make defects like porosity and hot tearing prevalent. These defects greatly impair the performance of gigacast components. Preventing and mitigating casting defects is critical for improving the yield and quality stability of magnesium alloy gigacastings, thereby facilitating their widespread application in industries like automotive and aerospace. To address these issues, the causes and control measures for three common defects (porosities, defect bands, and hot tearing) are briefly explored in this study. Progress and challenges in defect control, focusing on melt treatment, alloy development, process optimization, and structural design, are also outlined. This review aims to provide valuable insights into defect control strategies for developing high-performance magnesium alloy gigacastings.

Cite this article

JIANG Bin , ZHANG Ang , SONG Jiangfeng , LI Tian , YOU Guoqiang , ZHENG Jiang , PAN Fusheng . Defect Control of Magnesium Alloy Gigacastings[J]. Acta Metall Sin, 2025 , 61(3) : 383 -396 . DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00310

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