Fluxless Recycling of Die-Cast AZ91 Magnesium Alloy Scrap

Magnesium die-casting has experienced dramatic growth over the past decade and the recycling of magnesium scrap has become increasingly important due to the generation of substantial quantities of scrap in the die-casting process. Magnesium is a readily recyclable material and the recycling of magnesium scrap is crucial in making magnesium more competitive. The main concern associated with using the secondary magnesium is the high level of Fe content and oxide inclusions that are detrimental to the corrosion and mechanical properties of the secondary alloy. In this study, the die-cast specimens were produced using the recycled class 1 scrap which is refined by means of Ar bubbling and Mn addition without using refining fluxes, and their mechanical properties and corrosion characteristics were investigated. The results showed that the tensile properties of the secondary AZ91 alloy were equivalent to those of the primary magnesium alloy after appropriate treatments. The corrosion resistance of the recycled magnesium was also found to increase by Ar bubbling and Mn addition.