Development of Mg–Zn–Mn–Y magnesium alloy with high thermal conductivity and compression properties via injection molding

In this study, a magnesium alloy injection molding device was designed based on the principle of indirect squeeze casting. The alloy system of Mg–Zn–Mn–Y was manufactured using the injection molding technology. The injection molding samples exhibit a significantly refined microstructure compared to gravity casting samples. Furthermore, the compressibility of the injection molding samples displays notable improvement over gravity casting samples. In addition, the compressive strength increases gradually with higher Y content. However, the thermal conductivity continuously declines after adding Y, and the thermal conductivity of the injection sample is lower than that of the gravity casting sample. Additionally, the T6 treatment leads to further improvements in both the compressibility and thermal conductivity of the alloy. Overall, the experiment successfully designed a magnesium alloy system with high strength and thermal conductivity. Moreover, the injection molding device has proved effective in improving compression performance and rapidly designing new alloy compositions in a laboratory setting.