Influence of heat treatment on the machinability and corrosion behavior of AZ91 Mg alloy

In the present study, AZ91 Mg alloy was heat treated at 410 °C for 6, 12 and 24 h to investigate the influence of heat treatment on machinability and corrosion behavior. The effect of soaking time on the amount and distribution of Mg17Al12 (β - phase) was analyzed under the optical microscope. Microhardness measurements demonstrated the increased hardness with increased heat treatment soaking time, which can be attributed to the solid solution strengthening. The influence of super saturated α-grains on reducing the cutting force (Fz) with respect to increased cutting speed was observed as prominent. The corrosion behavior of the heat treated specimens was studied by conducting electrochemical tests. Surprisingly, corrosion rate of heat treated samples was observed as increased compared with the base material. From the results, it is evident that the machinability of AZ91 Mg alloy can be improved by producing super saturated α-grains through heat treatment but at the cost of losing corrosion resistance.