The microstructures and mechanical properties of cast Mg-Zn-Al-RE alloys

The microstructures and mechanical properties of cast Mg-Zn-Al-RE alloys with 4 wt.% RE and variable Zn and At contents were investigated. The results show that the alloys mainly consist of alpha-Mg, Al2REZn2, Al4RE and tau-Mg-32(Al,Zn)(49) phases. and a little amount of the beta-Mg17Al12 phase will also be formed with certain Zn and At contents. When increasing the Zn or At content, the distribution of the Al2REZn2 and Al4RE phases will be changed from cluster to dispersed, and the content of tau-Mg-32(Al,Zn)(49) phase increased gradually. The distribution of the Al2REZn2 and Al4RE phases, and the content of beta- or tau-phase are critical to the mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Al-RE alloys. The Mg-6Zn-5Al-4RE alloy with cluster Al2REZn2 phase and low content of beta-phase, exhibits the optimal mechanical properties, and the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and elongation are 242 MPa, 140 MPa and 6.4% at room temperature, respectively. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.