Melt holding time has important influences on the modification effect of Sr modified AS31 alloy. Effects of different melt holding time (30min, 60min, 90min and 120min) at 700°C on as cast microstructure and tensile properties both at ambient temperature and elevated temperature of Sr-modified AS31 alloy were studied. There exist polyhedral shape, fine fibers shape and a few Chinese script Mg2Si particles in Sr-modified AS31 alloys. And the average grain size is smallest in Sr-modified AS31 alloys with holding time at 700°C for 30min. The ultimate strength, yield strength and elongation at both ambient temperature and 150°C decrease gradually when the melt holding time increases from 30min to 120min. In the process of smelting of Sr-modified AS31. The burning loss of Sr element becomes more serious with the prolongation of melt holding time, which contributes to the modification effect reducing.

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Graphite powder was used to prevent a molten AZ91D magnesium alloy from oxidation and burning in order to develop a new pollution-free protection method with low cost. The protection method is expected to have good protective effect without decreasing the mechanical properties of the alloy. The protective ability of graphite powder on the alloy was investigated. Experimental results showed that graphite powder could protect AZ91D melt. The protective ability increased with graphite powder amount and decreased with holding time. The microstructure, chemical composition and phase composition of the surface films formed on the molten AZ91D alloy were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The protection mechanism was discussed. The surface films produced by the reactions between graphite powder, AZ91D alloy melt and the ambient atmosphere had two layers. The continuous and compact outer layer, mainly consisting of MgO and C, may be the fundamental reason for the fact that graphite powder could protect AZ91D alloy melt.

Based on the stress-strain curves at the temperature of 300-450 °C with strain rate of 0.01-1 s−1 by hot compression tests, the empirical dynamic recrystallization models for the semi-continuous AZ31magnesium alloy were developed. The dynamic recrystallization evolution during the seamless tube extrusion of the AZ31 Mg alloy was simulated by numerical method with the derived models and validated by experiment measurements. The results show that at certain extrusion speed the influence of the extruding temperature on the dynamic recrystallization fraction was significant. With the increase of the extruding temperature the volume fraction of dynamic recrystallization increase obviously. The predicted dynamic recrystallization fraction was in an excellent agreement with the experimental results.

The Nd:YAG laser welding process of AZ31B alloys was performed by using the six-axis robot in this work. The microstructure characterization of AZ31B auto-welded joints was studied by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The laser welding process resulted in the formation of equiaxed grains in the center of the fusion zone (FZ) and columnar grains near the FZ boundary, meanwhile some eutectic β-Mg17Al12 particles were observed in the microstructure. No clear heat affected zone (HAZ) was observed in the welded AZ31B joint. Furthermore, some pores were observed in the base material (BM) and FZ.