Structural,mechanical and electronic properties of precipitates in Mg−Zn alloys

To accelerate the development and design of magnesium(Mg)alloys,the structural and mechanical properties of important precipitates in Mg−Zn alloys were studied by experiments and density functional theory.The nano-indentation tests revealed that the hardness of the precipitates initially increased and then decreased with increasing Zn content,and was significantly higher than that of pure Mg and Zn.The calculation results revealed that the precipitates stability initially increased and then decreased with increasing Zn concentration.The bulk moduli of the precipitates increased,whereas their shear and Young’s moduli initially increased and then decreased with increasing Zn content.The decreasing order of ductility for these compounds is MgZn_(2)>Mg_(21)Zn_(25)>Mg_(2)Zn_(11)>Mg_(4)Zn_(7).The surface profiles of the compounds revealed that they are obvious anisotropy.Both the degree of covalency and bond length of covalent bonds initially increased and then decreased with increasing Zn content.

Synergistic effect of gradient Zn content and multiscale particles on the mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with coupling distribution of coarse-fine grains

This study investigated the influence of graded Zn content on the evolution of precipitated and iron-rich phases and grain struc-ture of the alloys,designed and developed the Al–8.0Zn–1.5Mg–1.5Cu–0.2Fe(wt%)alloy with high strength and formability.With the increase of Zn content,forming the coupling distribution of multiscale precipitates and iron-rich phases with a reasonable matching ratio and dispersion distribution characteristics is easy.This phenomenon induces the formation of cell-like structures with alternate distribu-tion of coarse and fine grains,and the average plasticity–strain ratio(characterizing the formability)of the pre-aged alloy with a high strength is up to 0.708.Results reveal the evolution and influence mechanisms of multiscale second-phase particles and the corresponding high formability mechanism of the alloys.The developed coupling control process exhibits considerable potential,revealing remarkable improvements in the room temperature formability of high-strength Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys.

Effect of cold rolling deformation on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of spray formed Al−Zn−Mg−Cu−Cr alloys

The impact of cold rolling deformation,which was introduced after solid solution and before aging treatment,on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the as-extruded spray formed Al−9.8Zn−2.3Mg−1.73Cu−0.13Cr(wt.%)alloy,was investigated.SEM,TEM,and EBSD were used to analyze the microstructures,and tensile tests were conducted to assess mechanical properties.The results indicate that the D1-T6 sample,subjected to 25%cold rolling deformation,exhibits finer grains(3.35μm)compared to the D0-T6 sample(grain size of 4.23μm)without cold rolling.Cold rolling refines the grains that grow in solution treatment.Due to the combined effects of finer and more dispersed precipitates,higher dislocation density and smaller grains,the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the D1-T6 sample can reach 663 and 737 MPa,respectively.In comparison to the as-extruded and D0-T6 samples,the yield strength of the D1-T6 sample increases by 415 and 92 MPa,respectively.

Improvement of microstructure and mechanical properties of Al−Cu−Li−Mg−Zn alloys through water-cooling centrifugal casting technique

The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Al−Cu−Li−Mg−Zn alloys fabricated by conventional gravity casting and centrifugal casting techniques combined with rapid solidification were investigated.Experimental results demonstrated that compared with the gravity casting technique,the water-cooling centrifugal casting technique significantly reduces porosity,refinesα(Al)grains and secondary phases,modifies the morphology of secondary phases,and mitigates both macro-and micro-segregation.These improvements arise from the synergistic effects of the vigorous backflow,centrifugal field,vibration and rapid solidification.Porosity and coarse plate-like Al13Fe4/Al7Cu2Fe phase result in the fracture before the gravity-cast alloy reaches the yield point.The centrifugal-cast alloy,however,exhibits an ultra-high yield strength of 292.0 MPa and a moderate elongation of 6.1%.This high yield strength is attributed to solid solution strengthening(SSS)of 225.3 MPa,and grain boundary strengthening(GBS)of 35.7 MPa.Li contributes the most to SSS with a scaling factor of 7.9 MPa·wt.%^(-1).The elongation of the centrifugal-cast alloy can be effectively enhanced by reducing the porosity and segregation behavior,refining the microstructure and changing the morphology of secondary phases.

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.

Molecular dynamics simulation of relationship between local structure and dynamics during glass transition of Mg_7Zn_3 alloy

The rapid solidification process of Mg7Zn3 alloy was simulated by the molecular dynamics method. The relationship between the local structure and the dynamics during the liquid-glass transition was deeply investigated. It was found that the Mg-centered FK polyhedron and the Zn-centered icosahedron play a critical role in the formation of Mg7Zn3 metallic glass. The self-diffusion coefficients of Mg and Zn atoms deviate from the Arrhenius law near the melting temperature and then satisfy the power law. According to the time correlation functions of mean-square displacement, incoherent intermediate scattering function and non-Gaussian parameter, it was found that the β-relaxation in Mg7Zn3 supercooled liquid becomes more and more evident with decreasing temperature, and the α-relaxation time rapidly increases in the VFT law. Moreover, the smaller Zn atom has a faster relaxation behavior than the Mg atom. Some local atomic structures with short-range order have lower mobility, and they play a critical role in the appearance of cage effect in theβ-relaxation regime. The dynamics deviates from the Arrhenius law just at the temperature as the number of local atomic structures begins to rapidly increase. The dynamic glass transition temperature （Tc） is close to the glass transition point in structure （TgStr）.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg_(94)Zn_2Y_4 extruded alloy with long-period stacking ordered structure

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg94Zn2Y4 extruded alloy containing long-period stacking ordered structures were systematically investigated by SEM and TEM analyses. The results show that the 18R-LPSO structure and α-Mg phase are observed in cast Mg94Zn2Y4 alloy. After extrusion, the LPSO structures are delaminated and Mg-slices with width of 50-200 nm are generated. By ageing at 498 K for 36 h, the ageing peak is attained andβ′phase is precipitated. Due to this novel precipitation, the microhardness ofα-Mg matrix increases apparently from HV108.9 to HV129.7. While the microhardness for LPSO structure is stabilized at about HV145. TEM observations and SAED patterns indicate that the β′ phase has unique orientation relationships betweenα-Mg and LPSO structures, the direction in the close-packed planes ofβ′precipitates perpendicular to that ofα-Mg and LPSO structures. The ultimate tensile strength for the peak-aged alloy achieves 410.7 MPa and the significant strength originates from the coexistence ofβ′precipitates and 18R-LPSO structures.

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-5Zn-0.63Er alloy

The microstructure evolution of the Mg 5Zn 0.63Er（mass fraction,%） alloy containing quasicrystalline phase（I-phase） under the as-cast condition was investigated via different heat treatments.The results show that apart from the precipitation of the W-phase particles,the I-phase almost dissolves into the matrix after solid solution treatment at 480℃ for 10 h（T4 state）.The solution-treated alloy was aged at 175℃ for 6-100 h（T6 state）.The ultimate tensile strength of the peak-aged alloy is approximately 261 MPa companying with an elongation of 10.5%.The improvement of the tensile strength is mainly attributed to the presence of the rod-like MgZn 2 particles.

Effects of minor Sc and Zr additions on mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys

The effects of minor Sc and Zr additions on the mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of Al Zn Mg Cu alloys were studied using tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ultimate tensile strength of the peak-aged Al Zn Mg Cu alloy is improved by about 105 MPa with the addition of 0.10% Zr. An increase of about 133 MPa is observed with the joint addition of 0.07% Sc and 0.07% Zr. For the alloys modified with the minor addition of Sc and Zr (0.14%), the main strengthening mechanisms of minor addition of Sc and Zr are fine-grain strengthening, sub-structure strengthening and the Orowan strengthening mechanism produced by the Al3(Sc,Zr) and Al3Zr dispersoids. The volume of Al3Zr particles is less than that of Al3(Sc,Zr) particles, but the distribution of Al3(Sc,Zr) particles is more dispersed throughout the matrix leading to pinning the dislocations motion and restraining the recrystallization more effectively.

Quench sensitivity and microstructures of high-Zn-content Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys with different Cu contents and Sc addition

The Zn,Cu,and Sc contents of 7xxx Al alloys were adjusted according to the chemical composition of a 7085 Al alloy,and the effects of Zn and Cu contents and Sc addition on the microstructures,hardness,and quench sensitivity of the 7xxx Al alloys were studied.The alloys with high Zn content and Sc addition exhibited higher hardness than the 7085 alloy at the position 3 mm away from the quenching end.The density ofηand T phases increased with the increase in Zn and Cu contents,and the Sc addition led to the formation of the Y phase and moreηphases at the position 120 mm away from the quenching end.Compared with the 7085 alloy,the high Zn−high Cu and Sc-added alloys exhibited higher quench sensitivity,while the simultaneous increase in Zn content and decrease in Cu content could enhance the hardness and reduce the quench sensitivity of the 7085 alloy.

Theoretical design and distribution control of precipitates and solute elements in Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys with heterostructure

In order to simultaneously improve strength and formability,an analytical model for the concentration distribution of precipitates and solute elements is established and used to theoretically design and control the heterogeneous microstructure of Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys.The results show that the dissolution of precipitates is mainly affected by particle size and heat treatment temperature,the heterogeneous distribution level of solute elements diffused in the alloy matrix mainly depends on the grain size,while the heat treatment temperature only has an obvious effect on the concentration distribution in the larger grains,and the experimental results of Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloy are in good agreement with the theoretical model predictions of precipitates and solute element concentration distribution.Controlling the concentration distribution of precipitates and solute elements in Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys is the premise of accurately constructing heterogeneous microstructure in micro-domains,which can be used to significantly improve the formability of Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys with a heterostructure.

Strong and ductile Al−Zn−Mg−Zr alloy obtained by equal angular pressing and subsequent aging

An ultrafine-grained Al−Zn−Mg−Zr alloy with superior mechanical performance was obtained by high passes of equal angular pressing(ECAP)and subsequent aging.After 8 ECAP passes and aging,the yield strength(YS)and ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of the solid-solutioned alloy are significantly improved from(98±10)and(226±7)MPa to(405±9)and(427±9)MPa,respectively.A large elongation is also maintained((17.4±2.5)%).The microstructure features including grain refinement,morphology of precipitates,and dislocation density,were revealed with multiscale characterizations,including transmission electron microscopy,electron backscattered diffraction,and X-ray diffraction.After 8 passes of ECAP,the original coarse elongated grains are refined to a unique bimodal grain structure consisting of ultrafine equiaxed and lath-like grains.Additionally,the effects of ECAP and subsequent aging on the strengthening contribution of a variety of strengthening mechanisms,such as dislocation strengthening and precipitation strengthening,were discussed in detail.

Effects of deformation parameters on microstructure and texture of Mg−Zn−Ce alloy

Compression tests were performed on the Mg−6Zn−0.5Ce(wt.%)alloy using a Gleeble−1500 thermomechanical simulator testing system at temperatures of 250,300,350℃ and strain rates of 0.001,0.01,0.1 s^−1.The microstructure and texture evolution of the Mg−6Zn−0.5Ce alloy during hot compression were investigated by optical microscopy(OM)and electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD).The results showed that Zener−Hollomon parameters obtained from the deformation processes had a significant effect on the dynamic recrystallization and texture of the Mg−6Zn−0.5Ce alloy.The fraction of undynamically recrystallized(unDRXed)regions increased,and the dynamically recrystallized(DRXed)grain size decreased with increasing the Zener−Hollomon parameters.The texture intensity of the DRXed regions was weaker compared with that in the unDRXed regions,which resulted in a sharper texture intensity in the samples deformed with higher Zener−Hollomon parameters.The increase in recrystallized texture intensity was related to preferred grain growth.

Recent advances using equal-channel angular pressing to improve the properties of biodegradable Mg-Zn alloys

Magnesium alloys are of considerable current interest for use as degradable implants due to their unique properties including biodegrad-ability,biocompatibility,low density and adequate mechanical properties.Nevertheless,there is a need to further improve these properties either by alloying or through the use of appropriate processing.Among the different biodegradable Mg alloys now in use,the Mg-Zn series are of special interest and have been the subject of many research investigations.This is primarily because Zn is an essential element for the human body in addition to its positive effects in improving the mechanical strength and lowering the degradation rate of the implant.The properties of Mg-Zn alloys may be further improved both through the addition of third and fourth alloying elements such as Ca,Ag,Sn or Sr and/or by thermo-mechanical processing where the latter is more environmentally and economically favorable.In practice,procedures based on the application of severe plastic deformation(SPD)are especially suited to produce fine-grained microstructures with improved mechanical,degradation and cell behavior.Equal-channel angular pressing(ECAP)is a popular SPD technique that has the capability of pro-ducing bulk materials that are sufficiently large for use as typical implants.Accordingly,this review is designed to provide a comprehensive summary of the research that has been undertaken on ECAP-processed biodegradable Mg-Zn alloys.

Tailoring phase fractions of T'and η' phases in dual-phase strengthened Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloy via ageing treatment

Hardness tests and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the strategy of tailoring the phase fraction of precipitates in an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy strengthened by T’ and η’ phases. Different phase fractions of T’ and η’ phases are presented in samples subjected to either single or two stages of ageing treatments at 120 and 150 ℃.For both types of ageing, the precipitation of η’ phase is found to be promoted by ageing at lower temperature and its phase fraction increases with prolonging ageing time at 120 ℃;whereas the phase fractions of T’ and η’ phases almost remain constant during ageing at 150 ℃. Besides, the strain fields produced by T’ and η’ phases were analyzed by using the geometric phase analysis technique, and on a macroscale the contributions of T’ and η’ phases to precipitation strengthening have been quantitatively predicted by combining the size, phase fraction and number density of precipitates.

Microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of quaternary Mg−1Zn−0.2Ca−xAg alloy wires applied as degradable anastomotic nails

The microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of quaternary degradable Mg−1Zn−0.2Ca−xAg(x=1,2,4 wt.%)alloy wires,intended as anastomotic nails,were investigated.It was found that these Ag-containing alloy wires mainly consist of Mg matrix and Ag17Mg54 phase,characterized by SEM,EDS,XRD and TEM.Tensile and knotting tests results demonstrate the superior mechanical properties of these alloy wires.Especially,Mg−1Zn−0.2Ca−4Ag alloy exhibits the highest mechanical properties,i.e.an ultimate tensile strength of 334 MPa and an elongation of 8.6%.Moreover,with increasing Ag content,the corrosion rates of these alloy wires remarkably increase due to the formation of more micro-galvanic coupling between Mg matrix and Ag17Mg54 phase,shown by mass loss and scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy(SKPFM)results.The present alloy can be completely degraded within 28 d,satisfying the property requirements of anastomotic nails.

Effect of Al addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg−Zn−Sn−Mn alloy

The microstructure and properties of the as-cast,as-homogenized and as-extruded Mg−6Zn−4Sn−1Mn(ZTM641)alloy with various Al contents(0,0.5,1,2,3 and 4 wt.%)were investigated by OM,XRD,DSC,SEM,TEM and uniaxial tensile tests.The results show that when the Al content is not higher than 0.5%,the alloys are mainly composed of α-Mg,Mg_(2)Sn,Al_(8)Mn_(5)and Mg_(7)Zn_(3)phases.When the Al content is higher than 0.5%,the alloys mainly consist ofα-Mg,Mg_(2)Sn,MgZn,Mg_(32)(Al,Zn)_(49),Al_(2)Mg_(5)Zn_(2),Al_(11)Mn_(4)and Al_(8)Mn_(5)phases.A small amount of Al(≤1%)can increase the proportion of fine dynamic recrystallized(DRXed)grains during hot-extrusion process.The roomtemperature tensile test results show that the ZTM641−1Al alloy has the best comprehensive mechanical properties,in which the ultimate tensile strength is 332 MPa,yield strength is 221 MPa and the elongation is 15%.Elevatedtemperature tensile test results at 150 and 200℃ show that ZTM641−2Al alloy has the best comprehensive mechanical properties.

Effect of non-isothermal aging on microstructure and properties of Al−5.87Zn−2.07Mg−2.42Cu alloys

The evolution of microstructure and properties of Al−5.87Zn−2.07Mg−2.42Cu alloys during non-isothermal aging was studied.The mechanical properties of the alloy were tested by stretching at room temperature.The results show that in the non-isothermal aging process,when the alloy is cooled to 140℃,the ultimate tensile strength of the alloy reaches a maximum value of 582 MPa and the elongation is 11.9%.The microstructure was tested through a transmission electron microscope,and the experimental results show that the GP zones andη'phases are the main strengthening precipitates.At the cooling stage,when the temperature dropped to 180℃,the GP zones were precipitated again.Besides,the experimental results show that the main strengthening phase during non-isothermal aging isη'phases.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of squeeze-cast Al−5.0Mg−3.0Zn−1.0Cu alloys in solution-treated and aged conditions

The microstructure and mechanical properties at different depths of squeeze-cast,solution-treated and aged Al−5.0Mg−3.0Zn−1.0Cu alloy were investigated.For squeeze-cast alloy,from casting surface to interior,the grain size ofα(Al)matrix and width of T-Mg32(AlZnCu)49 phase increase significantly,while the volume fraction of T phase decreases.The related mechanical properties including ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and elongation decrease from 243.7 MPa and 2.3%to 217.9 MPa and 1.4%,respectively.After solution treatment at 470℃ for 36 h,T phase is dissolved into matrix,and the grain size increases so that the UTS and elongation from surface to interior are respectively reduced from 387.8 MPa and 18.6%to 348.9 MPa and 13.9%.After further peak-aging at 120℃ for 24 h,numerous G.P.II zone andη′phase precipitate in matrix.Consequently,UTS values of the surface and interior increase to 449.5 and 421.4 MPa,while elongation values decrease to 12.5%and 8.1%,respectively.

Simultaneous improvement of strength and ductility by Mn addition in extruded Mg−Gd−Zn alloy

The influence of Mn content on the microstructure,tensile properties and strain-hardening behaviors of extruded Mg−1Gd−0.5Zn−xMn(x=0,0.3 and 1,wt.%)alloy sheets was investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscope(SEM),and electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD).The results show that the completely recrystallized grain structure and the extrusion direction(ED)-titling texture are observed in all the extruded sheets.The mean grain size and weakened ED-titling texture of the extruded sheets are gradually reduced with increasing Mn content.This is primarily associated with the formation of new fineα-Mn particles by Mn addition.Tensile properties show that the addition of Mn also leads to the improvement of yield strengths,ultimate tensile strengths and elongations of the extruded Mg−1Gd−0.5Zn−xMn sheets,which is mainly due to the fine grains andα-Mn particles.In addition,the Mg−1Gd−0.5Zn−1Mn sheet has the lowest strain-hardening exponent and the best hardening capacity among all prepared Mg−1Gd−0.5Zn−xMn sheets.