Developing an industrial-scale ECAP Mg-Al-Zn alloy with multi-heterostructure for synchronously high strength and good ductility

Although equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) effectively improves the mechanical properties of Mg alloys, it suffers from several problems, like complexity, being time-consuming, and being feasible for small sample sizes, which limit its potential application in industrial fields. Herein, we developed a compact processing route that combined industrial-scale ECAP with partial pre-homogenization and post-aging processes (rather than the commonly used full pre-homogenization and post-aging processes) to improve the processing efficiency. Using this compact processing route, we obtained an industrial-scale AZ91 ECAP alloy with a superior combination of high strength and good ductility. A multi-heterostructure with a heterogeneous grain structure and heterogeneous precipitates characterized the microstructure of this alloy. The heterogeneous grain structure comprised coarse grains and fine grains, and the heterogeneous precipitates included precipitate-dense grains and precipitate-sparse/free grains. The optimal mechanical properties stemmed from the simultaneous effects from the heterogeneous grain structure, heterogeneous precipitates, grain refinement, fine and dense y-phase particles, and basal plane texture component. The present result highlights the impact of the initial second phase morphology and size on the microstructure evolution during subsequent ECAP or conventional thermo-mechanical treatments, which provides a new approach to control the microstructure of Mg alloys.