Global Development and Application Status of Automotive Magnesium Alloy Components

China is currently implementing the "energy conservation and emission reduction" and "dual carbon" strategies. As the lightest metal material with the most resource advantages in China, the application of magnesium alloy in the automotive field is gradually expanding. Chongqing University, Shanghai Jiaotong University and Australian National University have conducted extensive research on the preparation, properties, and processes of magnesium alloys. In the past 20 years, the proportion of magnesium alloys in the automotive industry has gradually increased, but the design and development of magnesium alloy parts for automobiles are rarely reported at present. Therefore, this article mainly summarizes the application patterns and typical component cases of magnesium alloys from the four major systems of the vehicle (body system, chassis system, power system, interior system, and exterior system).

Major automotive component manufacturers are investing in the production and development of magnesium alloy automotive die-casting parts. According to the "Energy Saving and New Energy Vehicle 2.0 Technology Roadmap", the coefficient of vehicle lightweight will gradually decrease. Currently, there is still a huge gap between the global magnesium alloy usage per vehicle and the target value for magnesium alloy usage per vehicle in 2030, and the demand for automotive magnesium alloys is still strong.

The development of magnesium alloys in automotive components

The automotive manufacturing industry has the highest proportion of magnesium alloy consumption, accounting for about 70%. Magnesium alloy automotive parts are diverse, and structural parts (seat frames and front-end frames), high-temperature resistant parts (cylinder blocks), and sports parts (wheels) all have the common characteristic of withstanding low mechanical and chemical loads. The following figure shows the development history of magnesium alloy components in automobiles.

First stage

In 1808, the British chemist Humphry Davy separated magnesium metal, but it wasn't until 1828 that Antoine-Alexandre-Brutus Bussy extracted pure magnesium from anhydrous magnesium chloride. In the 1880s, Germany established the world's first electrolytic magnesium factory and began industrial production of magnesium alloys. As early as the 1930s, Germany took the lead in applying magnesium alloys to the automotive manufacturing industry. A few years later, the Soviet government invested magnesium alloys in aircraft manufacturing production. Britain first applied magnesium alloy to the motorcycle gearbox housing. During this time, the output of magnesium alloy reached 1200 tons/year.

Second stage

During the World War II period, due to the manufacture of military equipment, the output of magnesium alloy increased sharply. However, after 1946, the development of magnesium alloys began to stabilize.

Third stage

It was not until the 1990s that countries around the world began to pay attention to the development and research of magnesium alloys due to the impact of automobile exhaust emissions, energy consumption, and environmental protection policies.

Fourth stage

By the 2010s, with the excellent material properties, the application of magnesium and aluminum alloys on car bodies and closures has grown rapidly, especially for pure electric and hybrid vehicles. In particular, in the past 20 years, major original equipment manufacturers have been increasing the use of magnesium alloys in automobiles, leading to the emergence of many magnesium alloy components on the market.

Applications of magnesium alloys in automobiles

Currently, AZ91D, AM60B, and AM50 are the most common materials in the application of magnesium alloys in the automobile.