Elektron 21 to be included in MMPDS-03 Design Handbook

Manchester, UK, and Manchester, NJ, USA – 11th May 2007. Magnesium Elektron announced today the inclusion of their latest high performance magnesium sand casting alloy, Elektron 21, into the Metallic Material Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS) Handbook.

The USA based MMPDS handbook (formerly known as MIL-HNDBK-5) is accepted worldwide as the aerospace designers’ preeminent source for aerospace component design allowables.  Inclusion of Elektron 21 (AMS 4429) alloy into the MMPDS Handbook required submission of considerable physical and mechanical property data points generated from a wide population of melts and castings.  Sand foundries from all over the world produced and supplied castings into the program over a period of many years.  The data was statistically analysed by Battelle for MMPDS and condensed down to a series of concise tables and graphs covering many physical and mechanical design properties including data at elevated temperatures to 482ºF (250ºC).

Elektron 21 is the first and only magnesium casting alloy to be included in the MMPDS handbook with full A and B basis design allowables. Previous magnesium alloys received entry under the statistically less rigorous “S” basis minimum property definition.  “A” and “B” basis allowables provides a higher level of confidence for the designer when specifying materials and ensures Elektron 21 is qualified for aerospace material selection under new FAA guidelines for structural applications.

For Design Engineers, the “A” basis designation means at least 99 percent of the population of values is expected to equal or exceed the statistically calculated mechanical property value, with a confidence level of 95 percent.  For “B” basis; at least 90 percent of the population of values is expected to equal or exceed the statistically calculated mechanical property value, with a confidence of 95 percent.