Magnesium alloys are mainly divided into two groups: cast magnesium alloys and wrought magnesium alloys.
These two groups are quite different in composition, microstructure, performance, and application. Cast magnesium alloys are commonly used for automotive parts, machine housings, covers, and electrical components.
Most cast magnesium alloy parts are produced by die casting. This process has several clear advantages: high production efficiency, good casting surface quality, fine as-cast structure, and the ability to make thin-wall or complex-shaped parts.
Aluminum is an important alloying element in magnesium. It can strengthen the alloy and improve casting performance. For easier die casting, the aluminum content in magnesium alloy is usually higher than 3%.
Rare earth elements can also improve the casting behavior of magnesium alloys.
To make magnesium alloys more widely used as structural materials, the development of wrought magnesium alloys is very important. Magnesium has a close-packed hexagonal crystal structure, so its plastic deformation ability is limited. It can crack more easily during forming.
Because of this, early wrought magnesium alloys were designed to have both good plastic deformation ability and high strength.
In microstructure design, many wrought magnesium alloys try to avoid intermetallic compounds. Their strength mainly comes from solid-solution strengthening and work hardening caused by plastic deformation.
For example, early Mg-1.5% Mn alloy was used, and the addition of Th could clearly improve strength, plasticity, and high-temperature performance.
Main Elements in Wrought Magnesium Alloys
At present, wrought magnesium alloys mainly contain alloying elements such as Al, Mn, rare earth elements, Y, Zr, and Zn.
These elements can improve strength. They can also improve hot deformation performance, which helps forging and extrusion.
AZ31 and AZ31C are among the most important industrial wrought magnesium alloys. They have good strength and ductility. The main difference between them is the allowed impurity level.
AZ-series alloys contain more aluminum, so their non-equilibrium tendency becomes stronger. Because of this, AZ61 alloy is rarely supplied in cast form.
ZK60 is also a promising wrought magnesium alloy that has been successfully developed.
Basic Characteristics of Common Industrial Magnesium Alloys
The following content is translated from the table shown in the images. It lists common industrial magnesium alloys based on the ASTM system.
| Product Type | Alloy and Condition | Main Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | AM100A-T61 | Good pressure tightness. Good match between strength and elongation. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | AZ63A-T6 | Good room-temperature strength, ductility, and toughness. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | AZ81A-T4 | Good casting performance, toughness, and pressure tightness. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | AZ91C and AZ91E-T6 | General-purpose alloys with moderate strength. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | AZ92A-T6 | Moderate pressure tightness and strength. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | EQ21A-T6 | Good pressure tightness and excellent short-term high-temperature mechanical properties. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | EZ33A-T5 | Good casting performance, damping, pressure tightness, and creep resistance at 245°C. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | HK31A-T6 | Good casting performance, pressure tightness, and creep resistance at 350°C. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | HZ32A-T5 | Good casting performance and pressure tightness. Its creep resistance at 260°C is better than HK31A-T6. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | K1A-F | Good damping performance. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | QE22A-T6 | Good casting performance and pressure tightness. Relatively high yield strength at 200°C. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | QH21A-T6 | Good casting performance, pressure tightness, creep resistance, and high yield strength at 250°C. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | WE43A-T6 | High strength at room temperature and high temperature. Good corrosion resistance. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | WE54A-T6 | Similar to WE43A-T6, but it slowly loses ductility at 150°C. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | ZC63A-T6 | Good pressure tightness. Strength and casting performance are better than AZ91C. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | ZE41A-T5 | Good pressure tightness. Medium-strength high-temperature alloy. Casting performance is better than ZK51A. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | ZE63A-T6 | Especially suitable for high-strength, thin-wall, and pore-free castings. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | ZH62A-T5 | High room-temperature yield strength. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | ZK51A-T5 | Good room-temperature strength and ductility. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | ZK61A-T5 | Similar to ZK51A-T5, with higher yield strength. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | ZK61A-T6 | Similar to ZK61A-T5, with higher yield strength. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | AS41A-F | Similar to AS21-F. Ductility and creep resistance are lower, but strength and casting performance are higher. |
| Sand casting and permanent mold casting | AZ91A, AZ91B, AZ91D-F | Excellent casting performance and relatively high strength. |
Forged Magnesium Alloys
| Product Type | Alloy and Condition | Main Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Forging | AZ31B-F | Excellent forgeability. Moderate strength. Weldable, but rarely used. |
| Forging | AZ61A-F | Higher strength than AZ31B-F. |
| Forging | MZ80A-T5 | Higher strength than AZ61A-F. |
| Forging | MZ80A-T6 | Better creep resistance than AZ80A-T5. |
| Forging | M1A-F | High corrosion resistance. Medium strength. Weldable, but rarely used. |
| Forging | ZK31-T5 | High strength and moderate weldability. |
| Forging | ZK60A-T5 | Strength is close to AZ80A-T5, but ductility is higher. |
| Forging | ZK61A-T5 | Similar to AZ60A-T5. |
| Forging | ZM21-F | Good forgeability and damping. Medium strength. |
Die-Cast Magnesium Alloys
| Product Type | Alloy and Condition | Main Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Die casting | AE42-F | High strength and good creep resistance at 150°C. |
| Die casting | AM20-F | High ductility and high impact strength. |
| Die casting | AM50A-F | Excellent ductility and energy absorption. |
| Die casting | AM60A and AM60B-F | Similar to AM50A-F, but with slightly higher strength. |
| Die casting | AS21-F | Similar to AE42. |
Extruded Magnesium Alloys
| Product Type | Alloy and Condition | Main Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Extrusion | AZ10A-F | Low cost and moderate strength. |
| Extrusion | AZ31B and AZ31C-F | Medium strength. |
| Extrusion | AZ61A-F | Moderate cost and high strength. |
| Extrusion | AZ80A-T5 | Higher strength than AZ61A-F. |
| Extrusion | M1A-F | High corrosion resistance and low strength. Weldable, but rarely used. |
| Extrusion | ZC71-T6 | Moderate cost. High strength and high elongation. |
| Extrusion | ZK21A-F | Medium strength and good weldability. |
| Extrusion | ZK31-T5 | High strength and moderate weldability. |
| Extrusion | ZK40A-T5 | High strength. Better extrusion performance than ZK60A, but not suitable for welding. |
| Extrusion | ZK60A-T5 | High strength, but not suitable for welding. |
| Extrusion | ZM21-F | Good formability and damping performance. Medium strength. |
Sheet and Plate Magnesium Alloys
| Product Type | Alloy and Condition | Main Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet and plate | AZ31B-H24 | Medium strength. |
| Sheet and plate | ZM21-O | Good formability and damping performance. |
| Sheet and plate | ZM21-H24 | Medium strength. |
Notes From the Original Table
Some alloys listed in the table have already been discontinued.
The performance difference between AM60A and AM60B is not large. However, AM60B castings have stricter impurity limits: Fe ≤ 0.005%, Ni ≤ 0.002%, and Cu ≤ 0.010%.
The performance difference between AS41A and AS41B is also not large. However, AS41B castings have stricter impurity limits: Fe ≤ 0.0035%, Ni ≤ 0.002%, and Cu ≤ 0.020%.
AZ91A, AZ91B, and AZ91D have similar performance. In AZ91B, the Cu content is limited to ≤ 0.30%. AZ91D castings have stricter impurity limits, including Fe ≤ 0.005%, Ni ≤ 0.002%, and Cu ≤ 0.030%.
Summary
Magnesium alloy is a practical choice when a project needs lightweight performance, better high-temperature strength, and more stable service behavior than common magnesium grades. The right result depends not only on the alloy name, but also on material form, tolerance, machining plan, inspection needs, and supplier control.
Miji Magnesium supplies magnesium alloy materials and custom non-ferrous metal solutions. We help buyers with material selection, custom cutting, CNC machining, inspection documents, export packing, and international shipping.
