Correlation between Zirconium Addition and Compressive Properties of AZ31 Mg Alloy Foams

The compressive behaviors of AZ31-Zr foams using Ca particles as thickening agent and CaCO3 powder as foaming agent were investigated in this study. The porosity was about 48.7%~72.9%, pore size was between 0.43~0.97 mm, and homogenous pore structures were obtained. Mechanical properties of AZ31 Mg alloy foams were investigated by means of UTM. The cellular AZ31 Mg foams possess superior comprehensive mechanical properties. The energy absorption characteristics and the effects of compression behavior on the energy absorption properties for the cellular AZ31 Mg foams have been investigated and discussed. The results show that with the addition of Zr, the Mg alloy foam has the highest energy absorption value of 16.26 MJ/m3 and the hardness value of 81.8 HV, which is much higher than that of the foams fabricated without Zr.