The ever-growing demand for lightweight materials in the transport industry has triggered renewed attention for magnesium alloys owing to their outstanding specific strength, high damping capacity, good castability and machinability. Before 1998, the use of magnesium alloys was limited due to poor mechanical properties at high temperatures and corrosion susceptibility under severe conditions such as those found in the transport sector. With the latest breakthroughs in magnesium technology, these major drawbacks are being gradually overcome, but a step-change is still needed in order to assure their establishment in transport applications, where replacement of aluminium and steel by magnesium alloys will provide significant reduction of the vehicle weight, fuel consumption and, therefore, environmental impact.

 

The research group possess an extensive expertise in the field of corrosion performance of magnesium alloys. The objective of the present research line is to develop new magnesium alloys modified by minor alloying elements such as Nd, Gd, Ca, Y, Sr, Sn and Ti, which can increase the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys with potential use in the automotive industry.