from the conferences organized by TANGER Ltd.
The AZ31/6060 bimetallic material was fabricated through compound casting, which involved pouring AZ31 magnesium alloy heated up to 660 °C onto a 6060 aluminum alloy insert placed in a steel mould, both preheated to 300 °C. The microstructural analysis was performed with an optical microscope (OM) and a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM–EDS). Three characteristic areas could be distinguished in the 400-500 µm thick continuous bonding zone, which formed between the alloys. The EDS quantitative analysis revealed that the area close to the AZ31 was a eutectic (an Mg17Al12 phase and a solid solution of Al in Mg); then, there were dendrites of an Mg17Al12 phase; and finally, in the area adjacent to the 6060 alloy, an Al3Mg2 phase was detected. Fine particles of an Mg2Si phase and phases rich in Al, Mn and Fe were distributed over the entire bonding zone. Small porosity was observed only locally.
Keywords: Magnesium alloy, aluminum alloy, compound casting, intermetallic phases, microstructure© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.