The role of ultrasound in hydrogen removal and microstructure refinement by ultrasonic argon degassing process

Xuan Liu; Cheng Zhang; Zhiqiang Zhang; Jilai Xue; Qichi Le

doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2017.03.041

The role of ultrasound in hydrogen removal and microstructure refinement by ultrasonic argon degassing process

Ultrason Sonochem. 2017 Sep:38:455-462. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2017.03.041. Epub 2017 Mar 27.

Authors

Xuan Liu¹, Cheng Zhang², Zhiqiang Zhang³, Jilai Xue², Qichi Le⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: xuanliu@ustb.edu.cn.
² School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China.
³ Key Lab of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, 314 Mailbox, Shenyang 110819, People's Republic of China.
⁴ Key Lab of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, 314 Mailbox, Shenyang 110819, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: qichil@mail.neu.edu.cn.

PMID: 28633847
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2017.03.041

Abstract

In this work, the role of ultrasound in hydrogen removal and microstructure refinement by the ultrasonic argon degassing has been fully investigated by the experimental work in water and AZ91-0.4Ca magnesium melt, respectively. Ultrasound is able to break up argon gas into numbers of small bubbles and drive them diving deeply to the bottom of water, which are responsible for the efficient degassing regime of ultrasonic argon process. The argon flowrate plays a dominant role in promoting hydrogen removal effect. Meanwhile, the increasing argon flowrate can suppress the microstructure refinement, due to the subdued ultrasonic cavitation under a large argon flowrate. Mechanical properties of AZ91-0.4Ca alloy can be much promoted by the ultrasonic argon degassing process. Ultrasound is the key to achieve not only efficient degassing regime, but also microstructure refinement as well as mechanical properties promotion.

Keywords: Hydrogen removal; Magnesium alloys; Mechanical properties; Microstructures; Ultrasonic argon degassing.