An insight into processing and characteristics of magnesium based composites

Abstract

Magnesium is the lightest structural metal with tremendous potential in weight critical engineering and biomedical applications. To pave the way of magnesium based materials into multiple applications, it is important that: A) they can be processed cost effectively and using the existing infrastructure used for processing conventional light metal such as aluminum and b) there be enough formulations with wide range of combination of properties. In the first part of this paper, cost effective processing using disintegrated melt deposition technique and microwave assisted powder metallurgy technique will be highlighted. In the second part, mechanical characteristics of magnesium based formulations primarily focusing on nanocomposites will be presented with an aim to address their suitability in engineering applications. Finally this paper will conclude illustrating the current efforts that are made to replace aluminum alloys with magnesium based formulations.