KUMADAI Mg alloys are magnesium alloys in which a slight amount of transition elements and a certain rare-earth metals are added.
They have a new structure of atomic arrangement called “Long Period Stacking Ordered (LPSO)” phase and, as unique properties of the alloys, they have heat-resistance and strength higher than extra super duralumin at room temperature and higher than heat-resistant aluminum alloys at high temperature. We have been exploiting a new academic field of metals and materials while the understanding of the mechanism to strengthen Mg alloys has been advanced.
Background
Magnesium is the lightest practical metal material and is widely used for enclosure of IT devices, including PCs and cell phones, and auto parts.
In 2003, Kumamoto University developed an innovative and unprecedented magnesium alloys that have excellent mechanical properties. The developed alloys are called as “KUMADAI Magnesium (Mg) Alloys” and it is expected that KUMADAI Mg Alloys will be used as auto parts because weight-saving is an urgent issue in the automobile industry. Recently Kumamoto has been attracting attention as firm location for auto parts manufacturers supporting the automotive industry because Kumamoto prefecture is located close to the northern part of Kyushu, one of four main islands of Japan, where many auto manufacturers and their associated companies have their production bases and others in a concentrated manner and maritime transportation to both South Korea and China are available there. Accordingly, the region is expected to support competitive edge of the automobile industry. Kumamoto Prefectural Government has been advancing regional industrial strategy focusing on manufacturing including the automobile industry and others by drawing up “Kumamoto Manufacturing Forest Plan” in 2005 and “Kumamoto Automobile Industry Promotion Strategy” in 2007, etc. Among other things, Kumamoto Prefecture ranks commercialization of KUMADAI Mg Alloys that will contribute to weight-saving of automobiles as priority subject. Furthermore, Kumamoto Prefecture, as rapidly-aging society, will undertake the task of products development in medical/welfare fields including extra-light wheelchairs and others with the use of KUMADAI Mg Alloys in a proactive manner in the future.