Zamak 2 Alloy Produced by Mechanical Alloying and Consolidated by Sintering and Hot Pressing

The Zamak 2 alloy has the best mechanical properties of the Zamak alloys with respect to the tensile strength, creep resistance, and hardness. Zamak 2 is a commercial material widely used for the manufacturing of mechanical components. The presence of Cu in this alloy (3 wt. %) improves the mechanical properties through the formation of $E$ (CuZn₄) precipitates. The powder metallurgy (P/M) has an important direct advantage in the fabricated parts with respect to the finished dimensions or near net shaping due to the additional phase stabilization without heat treatment. However, there are few studies into the production of this zinc alloy via mechanical alloying and the effect of the consolidation technique in terms of the material properties; these research deficiencies led to the development of this work. The powder was analyzed during milling until achieving a steady-state, which occurred after 30 h of milling in a planetary ball mill at 400 rpm. The high-energy milling produces a Zamak 2 alloy powder with a T′ stable phase and with a greater melting point. When consolidated using hot pressing, the hardness increases compared to sintering and casting alloy.