Application of yttrium in AZ61 magnesium alloy and the semi-solid AZ61 alloy

The semi-solid magnesium alloy slurry was prepared by a newly self-developed mechanical stirring machine for preparing continuous semi-solid slurry, the effects of rare earth elements yttrium on the ignition point, the casting microstructure, the semi-solid microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ61 magnesium alloy were studied in this paper. The experimental results showed that increasing the Y content would increase the ignition point; when the Y content were 1.0% the ignition point of magnesium alloy was raised 36 °C, the effect refining grain size of the casting alloy was the best, and its mechanical properties were the best, the tensile strength of magnesium alloy AZ61-1.0%Y was raised 13.5% than that AZ61 magnesium alloy, also its elongation was raised 17.8% than that AZ61 magnesium alloy, the semi-solid microstructure was the smaller, symmetrically and rounded grain.