Twin roll casting (TRC) of magnesium alloys - Opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Twin Roll Casting (TRC) has been successfully employed for the past sixty years to produce aluminum, steel and, in the past ten years, magnesium sheet. Although the TRC process is relatively simple, its application for commercial-scale magnesium strip production has proven difficult. This is primarily due to inherent characteristics of magnesium alloys, such as their high reactivity to oxygen, low specific heat and latent heat of fusion, and large freezing ranges, which can induce formation of casting defects if various TRC processing parameters, such as metal delivery design, heat transfer in the roll gap, and casting speed, aren't tightly controlled. Research is underway worldwide to concurrently gain a better understanding of TRC processing variables in order to provide optimum casting conditions which will reduce defects, and develop new magnesium alloys with properties tailored to the TRC process. The opportunities and challenges associated with magnesium TRC will be outlined and include: 1) defect formation during TRC of magnesium alloy AZ31, 2) the feasibility of producing clad magnesium strip via TRC and 3) the effect of scale-up (moving from a laboratory unit to commercial production) will have on the TRC process for magnesium. © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.

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Materials Science Forum

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