Thermal Conductivity of Magnesium Alloys in the Temperature Range from −125 °C to 400 °C

Abstract

Magnesium alloys have been widely used in recent years as lightweight structural materials in the manufacturing of automobiles, airplanes, and portable computers. Magnesium alloys have extremely low density (as low as 1738 kg · m −3 ) and high rigidity, which makes them suitable for such applications. In this study, the thermal conductivity of two different magnesium alloys made by twin-roll casting was investigated using the laser-flash technique and differential scanning calorimetry for thermal diffusivity and specific heat capacity measurements, respectively. The thermal diffusivity of the magnesium alloys, AZ31 and AZ61, was measured over the temperature range from −125 • C to 400 • C. The alloys AZ31 and AZ61 are composed of magnesium, aluminum, and zinc. The thermal conductivity gradually increased with temperature. The densities of AZ31 and AZ61 were 1754 kg · m −3 and 1777 kg · m −3 , respectively. The thermal conductivity of AZ31 was about 25 % higher than that of AZ61, and this is attributed to the amount of precipitation.

Elevated temperature constitutive behavior and simulation of warm forming of AZ31B

“…The thermal properties of AZ31 at 200 • C reported by Lee et al (2012) were used to model heat transfer in the current deep drawing simulation. Table 6 describes the adopted thermal parameters.…”

Thermal conductivity of as-cast and as-extruded binary Mg–Zn alloys

“…Recently, with the increasing demand of magnesium alloys as lightweight parts for automobiles and personal computers applications, the thermophysical properties, especially the thermal conductivity, become to play an essential role in determining the performance of these magnesium parts [5,6]. In contrast to the tremendous work done on mechanical properties, the information about thermophysical properties of Mg-Zn alloys was relatively scarce.…”

Low-temperature electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of binary magnesium alloys

“…In particular, Galeazzi et al [4] measured the thermal conductivity of pure magnesium in the 60-150 mK temperature range, and the results indicate that magnesium can serve as a lightweight alternative to copper for the fabrication of refrigerator components for space. Lee et al [9] investigated the thermal conductivity of two Mg-Al-Zn alloys, AZ31 (Al 3 wt.% and Zn 1 wt.%) and AZ61 (Al 6 wt.% and Zn 1 wt.%), in the temperature range of 150-673 K, and the results show that the thermal conductivity increases with temperature in both alloys, and that the experimental data can be useful in the thermal design of automobiles and notebook applications. In order to explore the application potential of magnesium alloys at low temperatures, it is essential to analyze the effect of individual alloying elements on the thermal conductivity, so as to provide guidance in choosing suitable magnesium alloy systems for various applications.…”