EFFECT OF SINTERING TEMPERATURE ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AE42 MAGNESIUM ALLOY PREPARED BY SPARK PLASMA SINTERING

Magnesium alloy AE42 was prepared by powder metallurgy technique of spark plasma sintering. The effect of sintering parameters, particularly sintering temperature, on the microstructure and mechanical strength was investigated. The gas-atomized powder was sintered at four temperatures in the temperature range of 400-550 degrees C. It was found that mechanical strength of the sintered samples was significantly affected by several microstructural features. Application of relatively high load during sintering caused deformation of the individual particles and consequent recrystallization depending on the processing temperature resulted in the release of internal strain and in grain growth. As a result, the evolution of the mechanical strength as a function of the sintering temperature was significantly affected by residual stress, grain size and coarsening of secondary phase particles.