Effect of heat treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of sand-cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr magnesium alloy

The microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture behavior of sand-cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr alloy （mass fraction,%） under T6 condition （air cooling after solid solution and then aging heat treatment） were investigated. The optimum T6 heat treatments for sand-cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr alloy are （525 ℃, 12 h＋225 ℃, 14 h） and （525 ℃, 12 h＋250 ℃, 12 h） according to age hardening curve and mechanical properties, respectively. The ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and elongation of the Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr alloy treated by the two optimum T6 processes are 339.9 MPa, 251.6 MPa, 1.5%and 359.6 MPa, 247.3 MPa, 2.7%, respectively. The tensile fracture mode of peak-aged Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr alloy is transgranular quasi-cleavage fracture.

Effect of ageing time on corrosion behavior of Mg-10Gd-4.8Y-0.6Zr extruded-alloy

The corrosion behaviors of Mg-10Gd-4.8Y-0.6Zr extruded-alloys with various ageing time were investigated by immersion test and electrochemical measurements.The results show that the corrosion rate of the experimental alloy decreases with the increase of ageing time from 0 to 108 h.The corrosion resistance of the experimental alloy was found to increase with the increase of the size of the precipitate phases.The open circuit potential of the experimental alloy increases with the increase of the ageing time.The potentiodynamic polarization curves show that the cathodic over-potential increases with the increase of ageing time,leading to a decrease in the current density of anodic current plateau with the increase of ageing time.

Microstructure and Properties of Mg-10% Al-(0～3% )Di Alloys

The effects of didymium(Nd : Pr = 3 : 1 )on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10%A1 alloy were studied with the additions of 0~3%Di. The small block-like Al2(Nd,Pr) phase appears in 1%Di alloy, the blocklike Al2(Nd,Pr) and needle-like Al11(Nd,Pr)3 phases appear synchronously in 2%Di and 3%Di alloys, while the network of (Mg17Al12)βphase is broken up. The tensile properties can be improved with the addition of didymium. When the addition of didymium in Mg-10%A1 alloy reaches 2% , the alloy exhibits the best combination of strength and ductility, but the strength and ductility drop at the addition of 3% Di due to the obvious increase of the size and quantity of the needle-like Al11(Nd,Pr)3 phase.

Low temperature mechanical properties of as-extruded Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr magnesium alloy

Influence of multi-cycle cryogenic treatment and tensile temperature on microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture mechanism of as-extruded Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr magnesium alloy was investigated. The results show that there have no significant changes in tensile properties of the tested alloy after 10 d in liquid nitrogen immersion or 10 cycles of high-low temperature treatment at all test temperatures. The room temperature ultimate tensile strength increases from 398 MPa to 417 MPa after 20 cycles of high-low temperature treatments. Compared with the room temperature, the tested alloys exhibit higher tensile properties at low temperatures. At -196 °C, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the as-extruded-T5 Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr alloy are 349 MPa and 506 MPa, respectively, increasing by about 18% and 27%, respectively. The transgranular cleavage fracture mechanism is observed at room temperature, while at low temperatures both ductile fracture and cleavage fracture behaviors coexist.

Effects of Sm addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of a Mg-10Y alloy

To further increase the mechanical properties, 0.5wt.% Sm was introduced to a Mg-10Y alloy in this study. The effects of Sm addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the Mg-10Y alloy, especially the aged Mg-10Y alloy, were investigated. The microstructure observation and tensile tests were performed by using an optical microscopy, a scanning electron microscopy and a universal material testing machine, respectively. The phase analysis was performed using X-ray diffractometer. The results show that the 0.5wt.% Sm addition can not only promote the formation of fine and dispersed Mg24Y5 phases, but also improve their morphology and distribution; it also increases the thermal stability of Mg24Y5 phases. Sm addition is seen to increase the ultimate tensile strength of Mg-10Y alloy at elevated temperatures(200, 250, 300 and 350 ℃), while decrease the elongation. But the elongation is still up to 7.5% even at 350 ℃. In the range of 250 ℃ to 300℃, the ultimate tensile strength of the alloy reaches its maximum(with a range average of 235 MPa) and is not sensitive to the temperature change, which is very useful to the application of heat-resistant magnesium alloys. Even at 350 ℃, the ultimate tensile strength of Mg-10Y-0.5Sm is still up to 155 MPa. Considering both of the ultimate tensile strength and elongation, the maximum application temperature of the Mg-10Y-0.5Sm alloy can be up to 300 ℃. The strengthening mechanisms of Mg-10Y-0.5Sm alloy are mainly attributed to dispersion strengthening of Mg24Y5 phase particles with a certain solubility of Sm and grain refinement strengthening of α-Mg matrix.

Effect of small tensile deformation on damping capacities of Mg-1%Al alloy

Tensile tests with small deformation amounts of 0.5%,1%,3%and 5%were performed at room temperature on as cast Mg-1%Al alloy.Microstructures of the Mg-1%Al alloys before and after deformation were observed by optical microscopy(OM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The strain amplitude dependent and temperature dependent damping capacities of the as-cast and deformed Mg-1%Al alloys were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA).The mechanism of deformation on damping capacity of Mg-1%Al alloy was discussed.The results show that the as-cast Mg-1%Al alloy has high damping value at high strain.When the tensile elongation is higher than 3%,the damping values of this alloy in high strain region are significantly decreased at room temperature.But the large amount of dislocations produced by tensile deformation are activated by heat,and then increase the damping value at high temperature.

Creep behavior of ageing hardened Mg-10Gd-3Y alloy

Tensile creep behaviors of the ageing hardened Mg-10Gd-3Y alloy(referred to GW103)were investigated at temperatures up to 300℃.The extruded-T5 specimen exhibited high creep resistance,i.e.the low steady-state creep rate and long creep rupture time,while the better creep properties were observed in the cast-T6 one.The low steady-state creep rate of 1.71×10- 9s -1is obtained at 200℃and 80 MPa for the extruded-T5 GW103 alloy.In addition,the microstructure development of GW103-T5 alloy was also examined after creep exposure at different temperatures.On the other hand,the stress exponent and activation energy were studied in the temperature range of 200-300℃for the extruded-T5 specimens,and the creep mechanism was also discussed.

Effect of different casting methods on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.6Zr alloy

The effects of two different casting methods on the microstructures and mechanical properties of as-cast and T6-cast states of Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.6Zr alloy were studied by using metal mold casting and squeeze casting.The results show that the microstructure of Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.6Zr alloy is mainly composed ofα-Mg primary phase and Mg 24(Gd,Y)5 eutectic phase.The squeeze cast grains are small with a dendrite like morphology,and the tensile strength of the alloy in T6 state can reach 285 MPa.While the metal grains are coarse,the eutectic phases are distributed in the grain boundary,and the tensile strength of the alloy in T6 state is only 250 MPa.

Effect of inclusion on service properties of GW103K magnesium alloy

The effects of inclusions on microstructure, mechanical property, corrosion behavior of Mg-10Gd-3Y （GW103K） alloys by unrefining, MgO ceramic filtering and JDMJ flux refining were investigated, respectively. The results indicate that with decreasing significantly the number and size grade of inclusions for the alloy refined with JDMJ flux, tensile strength and elongation increase; however, the yield strength is less than that of the alloy refined with MgO ceramic filter and unrefined alloy. With the decrease of the inclusions contents, the corrosion rate of the alloys quickly vary from 2.419 mg/（cm 2 ·d） to 1.265 mg/（cm 2 ·d）. After inclusion content is reduced to 0.385%, the corrosion rate has almost no changes. Finally, the relationship between the volume fraction of inclusions and service properties of GW103K alloy under different conditions are established quantitatively.

A comparative study of Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy cast by metal mould and sand mould

The differences of the microstructure and mechanical property between metal mould and sand mould cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-Zr alloy were investigated both under as-cast condition and after solution heat treatment. In the as-cast specimens, the microstructure is similar and composed of a-Mg solid solution and eutectic compound of a-Mg＋ Mg24（Gd,Y）5; whereas the grain size using metal mould and sand mould is 27 pm and 71 IJm, respectively. The eutectic compound of metal mould cast alloy was completely dissolved after solution treated at 500℃ for 8 h, however it needs higher temperature （525 ℃） and longer time （12 h） to achieve the absolute dissolving under sand mould condition. In contrast to metal mould, the peak time of sand mould alloy aged at 225℃ and 250℃ of was advanced by 4 h and 6 h, respectively. The precipitation reaction sequence in sand mould cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-Zr alloy during isothermal ageing at 250℃ follows S.S.S.S.→β（D010）→β′（cboc）→β1（fcc）→β（fcc）, which is similar to that in the alloy cast using metal mould.