Magnesium casting technology for structural applications

This paper summarizes the melting and casting processes for magnesium alloys. It also reviews the historical development of magnesium castings and their structural uses in the western world since 1921 when Dow began producing magnesium pistons. Magnesium casting technology was well developed during and after World War II, both in gravity sand and permanent mold casting as well as high-pressure die casting, for aerospace, defense and automotive applications. In the last 20 years, most of the development has been focused on thin-wall die casting applications in the automotive industry, taking advantages of the excellent castability of modern magnesium alloys. Recently, the continued expansion of magnesium…