Papers by Author: Kwang Seon Shin

Abstract: The paper presented reveals the influence of chloride ion concentration on the corrosion and electrochemical behavior of new ZSMX wrought magnesium alloy in NaCl solution. The experimental techniques used include potentiodynamic polarization tests. The corrosion rate usually increased with the increase in chloride ion concentration. This result can be explained by the distribution of intermetalics.

Abstract: New die cast magnesium alloys have increasingly been developed in recent years for the automotive industry due to their high potential as structural materials for low density and high strength/weight ratio demands. However, their poor mechanical properties and low corrosion resistance have led to a search for new kinds of magnesium alloys with better strength, ductility, high temperature behaviour and high corrosion resistance. The main objective of this research is to investigate the corrosion behaviour of new die cast magnesium alloys: Mg-Al-Ca, Mg-Al-Sr. AC and DC polarization tests were carried out on the new alloys. Microstructure was examined using optical and electron microscopy (SEM) and EDS. The additions of Sr and Ca affected the corrosion behaviour. These results can be explained by the effects of alloying elements on the microstructure of Mg alloys such as grain size and precipitates caused by the change in precipitation.

Abstract: The mechanical properties of extruded ZA (Mg-Zn-Al) alloys with different Al contents were examined. The effects of Al on deformation behaviour were examined by tensile and compressive tests. The changes in texture due to plastic deformation were examined using the X-ray diffraction method. It was found that the basal poles of the extruded ZA alloy were parallel to the normal direction with a slight tendency to incline toward the extrusion direction. The degree of inclination increased with increasing Al content. The inclination degree of the basal poles was found to be closely related to the change in the deformation behaviour of the ZA alloy. Computer simulations were also carried out using the VPSC (visco-plastic self-consistent) theory in order to predict the contributions of various deformation modes to the plastic deformation behaviour of the ZA alloy.

Abstract: A clear understanding of fatigue properties for the pipeline steel and its weld is important to provide information for pipeline design during pipeline construction and predict pipeline fatigue life during pipeline operation. The materials used in this study are API 5L X65 pipeline steel generally used for natural gas transmission. This pipeline was welded by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) with V-groove configuration. The fatigue crack growth behaviors of pipeline steel and its girth weld according to crack growth directions and stress ratios were investigated over a wide range of stress intensities in laboratory air.

Abstract: Development of wrought Mg alloys, particularly in sheet form, is essential to support the growing interest for lightweight components in the automotive industry. However, development of Mg alloy sheets has been quite slow due to the complexity of sheet production originated from limited deformability of Mg. In this respect, twin-roll strip casting, a one-step processing of flat rolled products, can be an alternative for the production of Mg alloy sheets. In this study, AZ31 and experimental ZM series alloys are twin-roll strip cast into 2 mm thick sheets. The microstructure of the as-cast AZ31 alloy sheet consists of columnar zones near the roll side and equiaxed zones in the mid-thickness region. On the other hand, as-cast ZM series alloy sheets show equiaxed dendritic structure through the thickness of sheet. These alloys were subjected to various thermo-mechanical treatments and their tensile properties were evaluated. Twin-roll strip cast AZ31 alloy in H24 condition has equivalent yield and tensile strengths with similar ductility compared to commercial ingot cast AZ31-H24 alloy, indicating that twin-roll strip casting is a viable process for the fabrication of Mg alloy sheets. The experimental ZM series alloys have a large volume fraction of fine dispersoid particles in the microstructure, resulting from the beneficial effect of twin-roll strip casting on microstructural refinement. It has been shown that the experimental ZM series alloys have superior tensile properties compared to commercial ingot cast AZ31-H24 alloy, suggesting the possibility of the development of new wrought Mg alloy sheets by twin-roll strip casting.

Abstract: Various reactions and the in-situ formation of new phases can occur during the mechanical alloying process. In the present study, Al powders were strengthened by AlN, using the in-situ processing technique during mechanical alloying. Differential thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction studies were carried out in order to examine the formation behavior of AlN. It was found that the precursors of AlN were formed in the Al powders and transformed to AlN at temperatures above 600oC. The hot extrusion process was utilized to consolidate the composite powders. The composite powders were canned in an Al can and then extruded at elevated temperatures. The microstructure of the extrusions was examined by SEM and TEM. In order to investigate the mechanical properties of the extrusions, compression tests and hardness measurements were carried out. It was found that the mechanical properties and the thermal stability of the Al/AlN composites were significantly greater than those of conventional Al matrix composites.

Abstract: The effects of alloying elements on the microstructure and high temperature mechanical properties of Mg-Al alloys were investigated in this study. In order to improve the high temperature mechanical properties, Sr or Mm was added to the Mg-9Al alloy. The effect of Sn on the Mg-9Al alloy was also examined since Sn was expected to improve the high temperature mechanical properties by forming the thermally stable Mg2Sn phase. The specimens used in this study were produced on a 320 ton cold chamber high-pressure die casting machine. The microstructures of the specimens were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy and tensile and creep tests were performed at elevated temperatures. Tensile tests were carried out at room temperature, 150oC and 200oC using an initial strain rate of 2×10-4/sec. In addition, tensile creep tests were conducted at the stress levels of 50 MPa and 70 MPa. From the microstructure analyses of the specimens after heat treatment at 400oC for 12 hours, it was found that most of the Mg17Al12 precipitate dissolved into the matrix, while the thermally stable phases continued to exist. The high temperature mechanical properties of the Mg-9Al alloys were found to improve significantly with the additions of Sr, Mm and Sn, due to the formation of the thermally stable precipitates.

Abstract: The development of new components with magnesium alloys for the automotive industry has increased in recent years due to their high potential as structural materials for low density and high strength/weight ratio demands. However, the limited mechanical properties of the magnesium alloys have led to search new kind of magnesium alloys for better strength and ductility. The main objective of this research is to investigate the mechanical properties and the corrosion behavior of new wrought magnesium alloys; Mg-Zn-Ag (ZQ) and Mg-Zn-Si (ZS) alloys. The ZQ6X and ZS6X samples were fabricated using hot extrusion method. Tensile tests and immersion tests were carried out on the specimens from the extruded rods, which contained different amounts of silver or silicon, in order to evaluate the mechanical properties and corrosion behavior. The microstructure was examined using optical and electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) and EDS. The results showed that the addition of silver improved the mechanical properties but decreased the corrosion resistance. The addition of silicon improved both mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. These results can be explained by the effects of alloying elements on the microstructures of the Mg-Zn alloys such as grain size and precipitates caused by the change in precipitation and recrystallization behavior.

Abstract: Magnesium has the lowest density among the commercially available structural metals and its superior physical and mechanical properties make magnesium alloys extremely attractive for applications requiring lightweight, good castability and damping capacity. In recent years, due to the demand for lightweight magnesium components in the automobile and electronic industries, the world market for magnesium alloys has increased rapidly. At the same time, the research activities on manufacturing process and characterization of magnesium alloys have also increased significantly. The research activities have been concentrated on many different fields, including the development of high pressure die casting process and semi-solid processing, development of high strength wrought alloys and components, and characterization of microstructure, mechanical properties as well as corrosion properties. In this article, the recent progresses achieved in these research areas at Seoul National University will be introduced.

Abstract: The demand for magnesium alloys has increased significantly during the past decade in the automotive and electronic industries where weight reduction becomes increasingly an important issue. At present, high-pressure die casting (HPDC) is a dominant process in production of magnesium alloy components. However, magnesium alloy components produced by HPDC suffer from porosity problem and this limits the enhancement of mechanical properties through subsequent heat treatments. The semi-solid processing (SSP) is an emerging new technology for near-net shape production of engineering components, in which the alloys are processed in the temperature range where the liquid and solid phases coexist. The SSP has various advantages over the conventional casting processes. It offers the castings with high integrity and less porosity and allows subsequent heat treatments for enhancement of mechanical properties. For these advantages, the SSP of magnesium alloys has received increasing attention in recent years. In the present study, the continuous casting process was developed for the production of magnesium billets for the subsequent SSP. The process utilizes an electromagnetic stirring system in order to obtain desired microstructure with an excellent degree of homogeneity in both microstructure and composition. Prototypes of an air conditioner cover and a telescope housing were produced using the SSP of the continuously cast magnesium alloy billets.