Effect of sonotrode material on grain refining of Mg–3Al and Mg–9Al alloys by ultrasonic melt treatment

The new process, nucleation enhanced ultrasonic melt treatment (NEUMT), was proposed to increase the refining efficiency through heterogeneous nucleation by using the sonotrode which has been only concerned with the medium to transfer the ultrasonic energy. In the processing, the metal atoms and/or clusters eroded from the sonotrode were supplied and were simultaneously mixed uniformly into the melt by the ultrasound. These particles act as potential nuclei and refine the structure. The process was applied to assess grain refinement of Mg alloys, especially Mg–3Al and Mg–9Al. The refining efficiency was affected by the sonotrode material, and Ti was very effective in this process by the formation of proper intermetallic compound in the Mg alloy melt. The intermetallic compound was searched by the calculation of plane disregistry of the crystallographic orientation, and Al3Ti was suggested to be the heterogeneous nuclei.