Microstructure and tribological behavior of Mg-Gd-Zn-Zr alloy with LPSO structure

A Mg-14.28Gd-2.44Zn-0.54Zr （mass fraction, %） alloy was prepared by conventional ingot metallurgy （I/M）. The microstructure differences in as-cast and solution-treated alloys were investigated. Sliding tribological behaviors of the as-cast and solution-treated alloys were investigated under oil lubricant condition by pin-on-disc configuration. The wear loss and friction coefficients were measured at a load of 40 N and sliding speeds of 30-300 mm/s with a sliding distance of 5000 m at room temperature. The results show that the as-cast alloy is mainly composed ofα-Mg solid solution, the lamellar 14H-type long period stacking ordered （LPSO） structure within matrix, andβ-[（Mg,Zn）3Gd] phase. However, most of theβ-phase transforms to X-phase with 14H-type LPSO structure after solution heat treatment at 773 K for 35 h （T4）. The solution-treated alloy presents low wear-resistance, because the hard β-phase is converted into thermally-stable, ductile and soft X-Mg12GdZn phase with LPSO structure in the alloy.

Evolution of precipitates in Mg−7Gd−3Y−1Nd−1Zn−0.5Zr alloy with fine plate-like 14H-LPSO structures aged at 240℃

The morphology and crystal structure of the precipitates in Mg-7Gd-3Y-1Nd-1Zn-0.5Zr(wt.%)alloy with fine plate-like 14H-LPSO structures aged at 240℃were investigated using transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM).Fine plate-like 14H-LPSO structures precipitate after heat treatment at 500℃for 2 h,andβ-type phases precipitate after the alloy is aged at 240℃.The long-period atomic stacking sequence of 14H-LPSO structures along the[0001]αdirection is ABABCACACACBABA.After being aged at 240℃for 2 h,theβ-type phases are the ordered solution clusters,zig-zag GP zones,and a small number ofβ′phases.The peak hardness is obtained at 240℃for 18 h with a Brinell hardness of 112,theβ-type phases areβ’phases and local RE-rich structures.After being aged at 240℃for 100 h,theβ-type phases areβ’,β1 andβ’F phases.β′phases nucleate from the zig-zag GP zones directly withoutβ″phases,and then transform intoβ1 phase byβ’→β’F→β1 transformations.The Zn not only can form LPSO structure,but also is the constituent element ofβ1 phases.LPSO structures have a certain hindrance to the coarsening ofβ’andβ1 along<0001>α.

Formation of β' phase in LPSO structures in an Mg88Co5Y7 alloy

Formation of β’ phase in long-period stacking ordered(LPSO) structures in an Mg;Co;Y;(at.%) alloy after aging at 200 °C for 24 h or electron beam(EB) irradiation has been studied by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADFSTEM). β’ phase was precipitated only in the Mg matrix but not in LPSO structures after aging at 200 °C for 24 h. LPSO structure containing stacking defects transforms into the β’-long phase during EB irradiation, which plays a key role in accelerating solute atoms’ diffusion. New complex β’(LPSO) structures formed in the alloy after EB irradiation, such as β’(12 H) structure with an orthorhombic lattice(Mg;Y, Cmcm,a = 2 _(a0)= 0.642 nm, b=4√3_(a0), c = 6 _(c0)= 3.12 nm).

Microstructure development and biodegradation behavior of additively manufactured Mg-Zn-Gd alloy with LPSO structure

Biodegradable magnesium(Mg)alloy has been considered as a new generation of orthopedic implant ma-terial.Nevertheless,local corrosion usually occurs since the severe micro-galvanic behavior amongα-Mg and precipitates,and results in too rapid degradation.In this study,porous Mg-Zn-Gd part was fabricated using laser additive manufacturing combined with solution heat treatment.During heat treatment,the precipitatedβ-(Mg,Zn)_(3) Gd phase dissolved inα-Mg,and reduced the energy threshold of stacking faults on basal planes,which finally triggered the formation of long period stacking ordered(LPSO)phase.The LPSO phases owned minor potential difference withα-Mg,thus causing less micro-galvanic corrosion ten-dency as compared toβ-(Mg,Zn)_(3) Gd phase.More importantly,they were uniformly distributed within theα-Mg grains and showed different orientations between adjacent grains.As a result,the LPSO-reinforced Mg-Zn-Gd tended to expand laterally during corrosion evolution,and achieved uniform degradation with a considerably reduced degradation rate of 0.34 mm/year.Moreover,in-vitro cell tests further proved its favorable biocompatibility.This work highlighted the additively manufactured Mg-Zn-Gd with LPSO structure showed great potential for orthopedic application.

Developing new Mg alloy as potential bone repair material via constructing weak anode nano-lamellar structure

The mechanics-corrosion and strength-ductility tradeoffs of magnesium(Mg)alloys have limited their applications in fields such as orthopedic implants.Herein,a fine-grain structure consisting of weak anodic nano-lamellar solute-enriched stacking faults(SESFs)with the average thickness of 8 nm and spacing of 16 nm is constructed in an as-extruded Mg96.9Y1.2Ho1.2Zn0.6Zr0.1(at.%)alloy,obtaining a high yield strength(YS)of 370 MPa,an excellent elongation(EL)of 17%,and a low corrosion rate of 0.30 mm y−1(close to that of high-pure Mg)in a uniform corrosion mode.Through scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy(SKPFM),one-dimensional nanostructured SESFs are identified as the weak anode(∼24 mV)for the first time.The excellent corrosion resistance is mainly related to the weak anodic nature of SESFs and their nano-lamellar structure,leading to the more uniform potential distribution to weaken galvanic corrosion and the release of abundant Y^(3+)/Ho^(3+)from SESFs to form a more protective film with an outer Ca_(10)(PO_(4))_(6)(OH)_(2)/Y_(2)O_(3)/Ho_(2)O_(3) layer(thickness percentage of this layer:72.45%).For comparison,the as-cast alloy containing block 18R long period stacking ordered(LPSO)phase and the heat-treated alloy with fine lamellar 18R-LPSO phase(thickness:80 nm,spacing:120 nm)are also studied,and the characteristics of SESFs and 18R-LPSO phase,such as the weak anode nature of the former and the cathode nature of the latter(37-90 mV),are distinguished under the same alloy composition.Ultimately,we put forward the idea of designing Mg alloys with high mechanical and anti-corrosion properties by constructing"homogeneous potential strengthening microstructure",such as the weak anode nano-lamellar SESFs structure.

Microstructure of 18R-type long period ordered structure phase in Mg_(97)Y_2Zn_1 alloy

The microstructure of the 18R-type long period stacking ordered （LPSO） phase in Mg 97 Y 2 Zn 1 alloy was investigated by the first principles calculation. The arrangement rule of Zn and Y atoms in the LPSO structure is determined theoretically. The calculation results reveal that the additive atoms are firstly located in the fault layers at the two ends of the 18R-type LPSO structure, and then extend to fault layers in the interior, which is in good agreement with the experimental observations. This feature also implies the microstructural relationship between 18R and other LPSO structures. The cohesive energy and the formation heat indicate the dependence of the stability of 18R LPSO structure on contents of Y and Zn atoms. The calculated electronic structures reveal the underlying mechanism of microstructure and the stability of 18R LPSO structure.

Customized heat treatment process enabled excellent mechanical properties in wire arc additively manufactured Mg-RE-Zn-Zr alloys

Customized heat treatment is essential for enhancing the mechanical properties of additively manufactured metallic materials,especially for alloys with complex phase constituents and heterogenous microstructure.However,the interrelated evolutions of different microstructure features make it difficult to establish optimal heat treatment processes.Herein,we proposed a method for customized heat treatment process exploration and establishment to overcome this challenge for such kind of alloys,and a wire arc additively manufactured(WAAM)Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy with layered heterostructure was used for feasibility verification.Through this method,the optimal microstructures(fine grain,controllable amount of long period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure and nano-scaleβ'precipitates)and the corresponding customized heat treatment processes(520°C/30 min+200°C/48 h)were obtained to achieve a good combination of a high strength of 364 MPa and a considerable elongation of 6.2%,which surpassed those of other state-of-the-art WAAM-processed Mg alloys.Furthermore,we evidenced that the favorable effect of the undeformed LPSO structures on the mechanical properties was emphasized only when the nano-scaleβ'precipitates were present.It is believed that the findings promote the application of magnesium alloy workpieces and help to establish customized heat treatment processes for additively manufactured materials.

Microstructure and phase composition of as-cast Mg-9Er-6Y-xZn-0.6Zr alloys

The microstructure and phase composition of as-cast Mg-9Er-6Y-xZn-0.6Zr （x=1, 2, 3, 4; normal mass fraction in %） alloys were investigated. In low Zn content, aside from the major second phase of Mg24（Er, Y, Zn）5, there are a few lamellar phases that grow parallel with each other from the grain boundaries to the grain interior. With Zn content increasing, the Mg24（Er, Y, Zn）5 phase decreases, but the Mg12Zn（Y, Er） phase and lamellar phases continuously increase. When Zn content reaches 4% （normal mass fraction）, the Mg12Zn（Y, Er） phase mainly exists as large bulks, and some a-Mg grains are thoroughly penetrated by the lamellar phases. Moreover, the crystallography structures of the Mgl2Zn（Y, Er） and Mg24（Er, Y, Zn）5 phases are confirmed as 18R-type long-period stacking ordered structure and body-centred cubic structure, respectively.

Review on long-period stacking-ordered structures in Mg-Zn-RE alloys

The recent development of high-strength magnesium alloys is focused on the role of the strengthening phases with a novel long-period stacking-ordered (LPSO) structure. This review detailed the main factors influencing the formation of LPSO phases, including alloying ele-ments, preparation methods, and heat treatments. Furthermore, process control in structure types, formation and transformation behavior, strengthening and toughening mechanisms of the LPSO phase were discussed. Finally, the current problems and development trends of high-strength Mg-Zn-RE alloys were also put forward.

Dual phases strengthening behavior of Mg-10Gd-1Er-1Zn-0.6Zr alloy

The microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanisms of Mg-10Gd-1Er-1Zn-0.6Zr(wt.%) alloy were focused in the view of the size parameters and volume fraction(fp) of dual phases(long period stacking ordered(LPSO) structures and β’ precipitates).Results show that two types of LPSO phases with different morphologies formed,and the morphology and size of both LPSO phases varied with the solution conditions.However,the volume fraction decreased monotonously with increasing solution temperature,which in turn raised the volume fraction of β’ phase during aging.The alloy exhibited an ultimate tensile strength of 352 MPa,a yield strength of 271 MPa,and an elongation of 3.5% after solution treatment at 500℃ for 12 h and aging at 200℃ for 114 h.In contrast to the LPSO phase,the β’ phase seems to play a more important role in enhancing the yield strength,and consequently,a decreased fLPSO/fβ’,ratio results in an increased yield strength.

Friction and wear behavior of Mg–11Y–5Gd–2Zn–0.5Zr(wt%)alloy with oil lubricant

The sliding friction and wear behaviors of Mg-11Y-5Gd-2Zn-0.5Zr （wt%） alloy were investigated under oil lubricant condition by pin-on-disk configuration with a constant sliding distance of 1,000 m in the temperature range of 25-200℃. Results indicate that the volumetric wear rates and average friction coefficients decrease with the increase of sliding speeds, and increase with the increase of test temperature below 150℃. The hard and thermally stable Mg12（Y,Gd）Zn phase with long-period stacking order structure in the alloy presents significant wear resistance, The wear mechanism below 100℃ is abrasive wear as a result of plastic extrusion deformation. The corporate effects of severe abrasive, oxidative, and delaminating wear result in the tribological mechanism above 100℃.

Corrosion Behavior of Mg-Zn-Y Alloy with Long-period Stacking Ordered Structures

Mg-Zn-Y alloys with long-period stacking ordered structures were prepared by an ingot casting method. The corrosion performance of Mg-Zn-Y alloys was studied by combining gas-collecting test, immersion test and electrochemical measurements in order to determine the corrosion rate and mechanism of the alloys. The results showed that the volume fraction of Mg（12）YZn phase increased and the shape of the Mg（12）YZn phase changed from discontinuous to continuous net-like with increasing Zn and Y content. The corrosion rate of the alloys greatly depended on the distribution and volume fraction of the Mg（12）YZn phase. Corrosion products appeared at the junction of Mg phase and Mg（12）YZn phase, indicating that the Mg（12）YZn phase accelerated galvanic corrosion of Mg matrix. Mg（97）Zn1Y2 alloy shows the lowest corrosion rate due to the continuous distribution of Mg（12）YZn phase.