Semisolid forming of Al-10mass%Mg alloy by blending of elemental powders

By semisolid processing of metals, not only complicated shapes, but also products with a quality close to forged materials can be produced. In this research the forming temperature range, formability and mechanical strength of Al-10mass%Mg alloy formed by elemental blended powders semisolid forming are investigated. The powders used were gas-atomized aluminum as the high melting point powder, and ball-milled Al-20mass%Mg and Al-30mass%Mg powders as the low melting point ones. Differential thermal analysis has been used to determine the forming ability range. Tensile strength of the product has been evaluated by tests performed on φ 10 × 50 mm specimens. The relation between tensile strength and heat treatment has been also studied. Furthermore, the formability was investigated by forming cup shaped samples (outer diameter φ 424 × length 50 mm) with a thin wall (1 mm).