Magnesium alloys are mixtures of magnesium with other metals (called an alloy), often aluminum, zinc, manganese, silicon, copper, rare earths and zirconium. Magnesium is the lightest structural metal. Magnesium alloys have a hexagonal lattice structure, which affects the fundamental properties of these alloys. Plastic deformation of the hexagonal lattice is more complicated than in cubic latticed metals like aluminum, copper and steel. Therefore magnesium alloys are typically used as cast alloys, but research of wrought alloys has been more extensive since 2003. Cast magnesium alloys are used for many components of modern cars, and magnesium block engines have been used in some high-performance vehicles; die-cast magnesium is also used for camera bodies and components in lenses.
Magnox (alloy), whose name is an abbreviation for 'magnesium non-oxidizing', is 99% magnesium and 1% aluminum, and used in the cladding of fuel rods in some nuclear power stations.
Magnesium alloys tend to be referred to by short codes (defined in ASTM 275) denoting the approximate chemical composition by weight: for example, AS41 has 4% aluminum and 1% silicon; AZ81 is 7.5% aluminum and 0.7% zinc. If aluminum is present, manganese is almost always also there at about 0.2% by weight to improve grain structure; if aluminum and manganese are absent, zirconium is usually present at about 0.8% for the same purpose.
MgNd
|
Name
|
|
Mg
|
Nd
|
Fe
(max)
|
Si
(max)
|
Cu
(max)
|
Ni
(max)
|
Al
(max)
|
Co
(max)
|
Other Total
(max)
|
|
MgNd
|
5%
|
94%-96%
|
4%-6%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgNd
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
MgGd
|
Name
|
|
Mg
|
Gd
|
Fe
(max)
|
Si
(max)
|
Cu
(max)
|
Ni
(max)
|
Al
(max)
|
Co
(max)
|
Other Total
(max)
|
|
MgGd
|
5%
|
94%-96%
|
4%-6%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgGd
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
MgY
|
NAME
|
|
Mg
|
Gd
|
Fe
(max)
|
Si
(max)
|
Cu
(max)
|
Ni
(max)
|
Al
(max)
|
Co
(max)
|
Other Total
(max)
|
|
MgY
|
5%
|
94%-96%
|
4%-6%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgY
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
MgYb
|
Name
|
|
Mg
|
Yb
|
Fe
(max)
|
Si
(max)
|
Cu
(max)
|
Ni
(max)
|
Al
(max)
|
Co
(max)
|
Other Total
(max)
|
|
MgYb
|
5%
|
94%-96%
|
4%-6%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgYb
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
MgDy
|
Name
|
|
Mg
|
Dy
|
Fe
(max)
|
Si
(max)
|
Cu
(max)
|
Ni
(max)
|
Al
(max)
|
Co
(max)
|
Other Total
(max)
|
|
MgDy
|
5%
|
94%-96%
|
4%-6%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgDy
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
MgEr
|
Name
|
|
Mg
|
Er
|
Fe
(max)
|
Si
(max)
|
Cu
(max)
|
Ni
(max)
|
Al
(max)
|
Co
(max)
|
Other Total
(max)
|
|
MgEr
|
5%
|
94%-96%
|
4%-6%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgEr
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
MgLa
|
Name
|
|
Mg
|
La
|
Fe
(max)
|
Si
(max)
|
Cu
(max)
|
Ni
(max)
|
Al
(max)
|
Co
(max)
|
Other Total
(max)
|
|
MgLa
|
5%
|
94%-96%
|
4%-6%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
>0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgLa
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
MgCe
|
Name
|
|
Mg
|
Ce
|
Fe(max)
|
Si(max)
|
Cu(max)
|
Ni(max)
|
Al(max)
|
Co(max)
|
Other Total(max)
|
|
MgCe
|
5%
|
94%-96%
|
4%-6%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgCe
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
MgZr
|
Name
|
|
Mg
|
Zr
|
Fe
(max)
|
Si
(max)
|
Cu
(max)
|
Ni
(max)
|
Al
(max)
|
Co
(max)
|
Other Total
(max)
|
|
MgZr
|
25%
|
74%-76%
|
24%-26%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgZr
|
30%
|
69%-71%
|
29%-31%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgZr
|
35%
|
64%-66%
|
34%-36%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
|
MgZr
|
40%
|
59%-61%
|
39%-41%
|
0.003%
|
0.01%
|
0.005%
|
0.001%
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
0.5%
|
