Additive Manufacturing of Magnesium Alloys

Additive manufacturing of magnesium alloys encompasses a suite of layer-by-layer build methods—most notably powder-bed fusion, directed energy deposition and wire-arc deposition—that enable the fabrication of complex, lightweight components while minimising material waste. Utilising the rapid solidification inherent to these techniques, researchers have achieved fine, non-equiaxed microstructures and tailored porosity levels that underpin mechanical strength, ductility and corrosion resistance. Key challenges lie in controlling oxidation and flammability during processing, mitigating anisotropic grain growth and eliminating defects such as lack of fusion and balling. Thermal management strategies, post-build heat treatments and alloying modifications have been deployed to refine grain structure, promote homogeneous precipitation and reduce internal stresses. Together, these developments open pathways to automotive parts with weight-saving potential, aerospace structures with enhanced fatigue performance and bioresorbable medical implants that combine tailored degradation rates with high biocompatibility.

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Additive Manufacturing of Magnesium Alloys publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in additive manufacturing of magnesium alloys across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Additive manufacturing: Layered fabrication techniques that build three-dimensional parts from digital models by successively depositing material.

Powder-bed fusion: Laser- or electron-beam-based process that selectively melts metal powder in a bed to form each layer of a component.

Directed energy deposition (DED): Process in which a focused energy source melts feedstock—powder or wire—as it is deposited, enabling in-situ fabrication or repair.

Wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM): DED variant using an electric arc to melt metallic wire feedstock, affording high deposition rates for large structures.

Twin boundary: A specific type of grain boundary where crystals share a mirror-symmetrical lattice orientation, influencing mechanical response.

Recrystallisation: Thermal process in which new, strain-free grains nucleate and grow, reducing internal stresses and altering texture.

Precipitation: Formation of secondary phases within a metal matrix that can impede dislocation motion and strengthen the alloy.

Texture: Preferred crystallographic orientation of grains in a polycrystalline material, affecting anisotropy in properties.

Passivation: Formation of a protective film on a metal surface that slows corrosive attack in physiological or environmental media.

References

1. Influence of heat treatment on microstructure, mechanical and corrosion behavior of WE43 alloy fabricated by laser-beam powder bed fusion. International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing (2023).
2. Anomalous twin boundary formation in magnesium alloys by rapid solidification. Acta Materialia (2024).
3. Improved strength-ductility synergy of directed energy deposited AZ31 magnesium alloy with cryogenic cooling mode. Virtual and Physical Prototyping (2023).