Manufacturing and processing of sheets using a Mg–Al–Ca–Zn–Y alloy for automotive applications

As the transportation industry evolves, so do its needs, creating opportunities for the use of non-standard materials. While electrically powered vehicles (EVs) generally operate at lower temperatures than those with internal combustion engines, operation at elevated temperature is still important for battery cases and motor housings. There, Mg alloy sheets could be used, as they have great potential for lightweighting. Mg–Al–Ca-alloys are particularly suitable, as they form temperature-stable phases, providing advantages compared to classical Mg–Al–Zn alloys. In this work, sheets made of an Mg–Al–Zn–Ca–Y alloy (AZXW3120) were manufactured via hot-rolling. The microstructure and texture in various conditions were analyzed and the mechanical properties were investigated at RT and 150 °C. The Ca additions led to a reduced texture after rolling and allowed for an increase in tensile strength of 15–20 MPa by age hardening. The age-hardenable AZXW3120 sheets showed better formability during cup-drawing (31.4 vs. 27.5 mm) and higher elevated temperature yield strength, of up to 25 MPa, compared to industrially produced AZ31 Mg sheet.