No. 228: World’s strongest magnesium alloy from Japan (January 20, 2011)

A research team led by a professor of the University of Electro-Communications developed the world’s strongest magnesium alloy without rare earthes. It weighs about two thirds of aluminum alloy. The manufacturing method of this magnesium alloy is to add a small amount of aluminum and zinc to magnesium, and stretch the resulting product to various directions at room temperature. A standard alloy is made up of round particles, each of which about 50 micrometers in diameter, but the research team successfully increased the strength considerably by extending the standard alloy to a needle less than one micrometer long by press work. It does not collapse even if it is pulled by such strength 650 Mpa that is equivalent to the pressure several thousands bigger than atmospheric pressure. This new magnesium alloy is 20% stronger than the existing strongest magnesium alloy and the high-intensity aluminum alloy called extra super duralumin. It can easily be made by a press machine installed in family-run business at a reasonable cost. The structure of this new magnesium alloy is like the structure of steel of Japanese sword. The research team plans to make the new magnesium alloy into practical use and apply it to parts of vehicles, airplanes, PCs, and mobile instruments.