Specimen prepartion and micro-structure analysis of aluminum-magnesium alloy AZ91D

• Main Author: Zhao, Liang.
• Other Authors: Shu Dong Wei
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Metallic materials::Alloys
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/46706
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Magnesium is the lightest structural metal. Magnesium alloys have a hexagonal lattice structure, which affects the fundamental properties of these alloys. Plastic deformation of the hexagonal lattice is more complicated than in cubic latticed metals like aluminum, copper and steel. Therefore magnesium alloys are typically used as cast alloys. Cast magnesium alloys are used for many components of modern cars; die-cast magnesium is also used for camera bodies and components in lenses. Therefore it is necessary to conduct more experiments to have further understanding of the properties of cast magnesium alloy. An experiment such as collision test of AZ91D magnesium alloy was conducted previously by other students to investigate the effect of the collision when it is subjected to different temperature and strain. In this project, all specimens are from the samples which were collected in other students’ collision experiment. It will focus on the procedures to prepare and analysis the microstructure of the specimens; and the analysis result. The experiment is conducted in two areas: specimens’ preparation (cutting, graining, specimens mounting molding and surface polishing) and microstructure analysis (using microscope and SEM). From this experiment it shows that the temperature and strain effect AZ91D magnesium alloy in microstructure level. The specimens’ preparation plays an important part in getting a useful specimen for microstructure analysis, especially the polishing and etching process. Key words: Magnesium Alloy, AZ91D, SEM, EDS, Microstructure.