Abstract: For the first time AZ91 (MgAl9Zn1) and AM60 (MgAl6) Mg alloy foams with homogeneous pore structures were prepared successfully via melt foaming method using CaCO3 as blowing agent. It is revealed that the blowing gas to foam the melt is not CO2 but CO, which comes from liquid-solid reaction between Mg melt. The reaction temperature is more than 100℃ lower than CaCO3 decomposition, which makes Mg alloy melts foam into cellular structure much more easily in the temperature range from 690℃ to 750℃.

Key words: Mg alloy foam, CaCO3, Blowing gas