Recycling of AZ31B Alloy Chips via Remelting with Salt Flux
摘要
The increased use of magnesium (Mg) alloys has caused a great deal of waste. Mg alloy machined chips are considered dangerous solid waste, and recycling Mg alloy waste is vital for energy consumption and environmental protection. In this study, AZ31B chips contaminated by coolant were recycled by remelting with original AZ31B, and the effects of different immersing times and chip additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of recycled alloys were investigated. The results showed that the chips were seriously corroded, and the recycled alloys still had small-sized MgO inclusion despite being refined by RJ-2 and Ar. The grain of the recycled alloys was refined, and the ultimate tensile strength was improved (187 um and 198.7 MPa for the 10% chip addition), in comparison to the original AZ31B (892 um and 173.6 MPa). MgO on the chip surface contributed to grain refinement and strength enhancement. However, with the increase in chip addition, the grain size of the recycled alloys slightly coarsened.