Some Mechanical Properties of Magnesium Alloys at Low Temperatures

Abstract

Magnesium alloys are approximately 1/5 as heavy as stainless steels, copper alloys, and nickel alloys, and 2/3 as heavy as aluminum alloys. Because they are light, it is desirable that some magnesium alloys be added to the growing list of cryogenic construction materials. For this reason, the mechanical properties in tension and impact of six representative magnesium alloys were tested at four temperatures: 300, 195, 76, and 20°K. The six alloys were sheet AZ31B-0, ZE10A-H11 and H10, HM21A-T8, and HK31A-0; sand cast HK31A-T6; and extruded HM31A-F. Both macrophotographs and microphotographs were taken to indicate fracture characteristics.