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By selecting the right combination of alloy and processing method, a wide range of temperature exposed drive train parts can be made out of die cast magnesium, including engine blocks and automatic transmissions as probably the most demanding components. Successful new alloys for these purposes must fulfill a multitude of requirements to offer a viable solution, including mechanical properties, corrosion properties, die castability and recyclability. Therefore, selection of alloys must be based on the customers' requirements, at the same time as other factors are optimised. In this paper, results from the ongoing alloy development work by Hydro Magnesium are presented, focusing mainly on creep resistant alloys within the Mg-Al-RE system. High temperature tensile data, tensile creep-, stress relaxation- and bolt load retention results from a selection of AE alloys and reference alloys are presented.

As more and more magnesium metal is used and recycled, particularly for safety-sensitive components, the maintenance of metal cleanliness remains of critical importance. The term metal quality may be defined as 1) chemical composition 2) inclusions and porosity inside the metal, 3) the surface appearance and 4) consistency. This definition may apply to both ingots and cast parts. Chemical composition of ingots will influence on the cast parts, but also process operation at the die casters' will contribute to the chemical composition of the final product. The inclusion contents of a cast component is only indirectly determined from the cleanliness of the ingots from where it origins, emphasising the need for metal cleanliness assessment in the die casting shop. Beside the die casting process itself, the ingot surface appearance and the housekeeping in the die casting furnaces are important for the property of the product.