AZ31B magnesium

Material identity and supplied form

Luxfer lists 269 MPa tensile and 200 MPa yield for rolled AZ31B-H24 at 0.040–0.249 in, and 248 MPa tensile and 152 MPa yield at 0.5–1 in. Those rows cover 0.10 in and 0.75 in, respectively. Luxfer's table leaves test direction and guarantee status unspecified. Confirm the ordered specification and certificate for acceptance. Luxfer AZ31B rolled-product table

AZ31B is a magnesium-aluminum-zinc alloy. Luxfer's rolled-product sheet provides a producer composition summary; use the full limits in the ordered specification for acceptance. Luxfer AZ31B sheet, plate and coil

Record form and temper alongside AZ31B. Luxfer separately offers direct-chill cast billet as starting material for sheet, forgings and extrusions, and discusses machining billet for prototypes. A billet is not rolled plate merely because its chemistry belongs to the same alloy family. Luxfer Elektron AZ31 billet

Mechanical properties depend on the row

Examples from Luxfer's rolled-product table illustrate why a single “AZ31B strength” is misleading:

These are producer-published table entries, not independent design allowables. The sheet does not explicitly identify test direction or label the table as guaranteed minima; confirm the ordered specification and certificate before using it for acceptance. Luxfer mechanical-property table

Forming and joining

Nippon Kinzoku markets its AZ31B strip specifically for warm forming and hot stamping. It attributes its strip behavior to rolling control of metallurgical structure and grain size, and shows deep warm drawing under optimized conditions. Its examples include computer housings, smartphone parts and loudspeaker diaphragms. This is evidence for that producer's strip/process combination, not a universal forming-temperature or bend-radius recipe. Nippon Kinzoku AZ31B

For a formed part, establish rolling direction, stock condition, tool geometry, lubrication, heating method and the permitted temperature/time window. Trial the critical draw, flange or bend on representative stock. Check thinning, cracking, springback and finished dimensions rather than judging success only by whether the part leaves the tool intact.

Luxfer's rolled sheet identifies gas-shielded arc welding with AZ61A preferred or AZ92A filler, and calls for post-weld stress relief to prevent stress-corrosion cracking. Luxfer weldability note

That note does not supply a qualified welding procedure or a stress-relief cycle. Resolve filler compatibility, cleaning, shielding, joint geometry, thermal treatment and inspection with the actual material supplier and welding specification. Do not retain the incoming H24 property row as an assumed welded-joint rating without supporting qualification.

Surface protection and assembly exposure

Luxfer makes protection dependent on service conditions and recommends cleaning and pretreatment before paint or e-coat. Luxfer surface-treatment guidance

Specify a complete finishing system, including substrate preparation, coating, edges, holes and repair after fabrication. Evaluate the assembled environment: trapped moisture, cleaning fluids, mating metals and coating damage may matter more than an isolated coated coupon. Require evidence for the actual exposure and joint arrangement rather than treating “coated magnesium” as one compatibility class. Include inspection and maintenance access when a hidden interface is important to service life.

Machining, swarf and fire controls

Luxfer's Machining Magnesium, datasheet 254, emphasizes sharp tools, avoiding rubbing and excess heat, and frequent chip removal. It warns that a coolant's claim of magnesium compatibility still needs alloy-specific assessment and stain testing. No universal cutting speed or coolant concentration follows from the alloy designation. Luxfer machining guide

The guide separates dry chips from wet swarf: dry chips use dry closed noncombustible containers, while wet swarf requires covered, ventilated noncombustible storage to release hydrogen. It calls for segregation from other metals and warns that partially dried chips may ignite. Its fire guidance excludes water, nitrogen and carbon dioxide for magnesium fires. These distinctions belong in the workshop process assessment before machining begins. Luxfer swarf and fire sections

A current product-specific example is Thermo Fisher's AZ31B plate SDS, catalogue 14066, revision 5 dated 27 December 2025. It specifies approved Class D extinguishers, excludes water or foam, and calls for dry storage away from acids and oxidizing agents. This laboratory-plate SDS does not by itself characterize a shop's accumulated fine dust, wet chips or mixed waste. Obtain the SDS for the delivered product and assess the generated material separately. Thermo Fisher AZ31B plate SDS

Bounded mass estimate

Luxfer lists density as 1.78 g/cm³. An ideal 100 × 100 × 5 mm solid blank has volume 50 cm³, giving an estimated mass of 89 g. Luxfer physical properties

This original arithmetic excludes tolerances, coatings, holes and machining allowance. It supports an initial mass estimate, not an equal-stiffness substitution: the design must separately meet deflection, stability, joint and service requirements. Keep estimated mass separate from measured incoming mass and certified properties.

Source editions and related reference

The rolled-product PDF footer says Copyright Luxfer 2018, WRAZ31B1001-2, despite its 2024 URL path. Datasheet 254 ends with Copyright 2018, DS-1007-1118; it contains historical regulatory references that this article does not adopt as current rules. Nippon Kinzoku's page gives no explicit technical revision date. The review date above records this draft's review, not a new edition of those sources.

Grades, tempers and conditions