Investigating the Feasibility of Processing WE43 Mg alloy by Equal Channel Angular Processing and Rotary Swaging

The growing need to reduce aircraft weight and subsequently improve fuel efficiency has resulted in enhanced interest in magnesium (Mg) alloys for use in aerospace applications. However, one major factor limiting the use of Mg alloys is directly attributed to their inadequate mechanical properties. Moreover, Mg’s poor ductility makes it difficult to form at room temperature and thus limits the margin for improvement of mechanical properties via post processing.

In this study, the feasibility of processing Mg alloy WE43 rods by equal channel angular processing (ECAP) and rotary swaging (RS) was investigated. Rotary swaging was carried out at room temperature on both extruded WE43 rods and ECAPed WE43 rods. The results suggest that ECAP prior to RS significantly improved the ability to swage the material without cracking. Moreover, a 40% increase in yield strength was achieved after ECAP and a further 20% increase after RS. Such results demonstrate the potential of using RS for possible production of high strength WE43 rods and tubes for future aerospace applications.