Enhanced age-hardening behaviour in Mg-4 wt.% Zn micro-alloyed with Ca

In the Mg-Zn system it has been shown that the addition of trace amounts of Ca can have a substantial positive influence on the precipitation process during artificial ageing. The microstructure of the modified alloy is more complex and has a much refined precipitate structure that is very stable for prolonged periods at elevated temperatures (less than or equal to 450 K), leading to a significant improvement in creep resistance. Crown Copyright (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc. All rights reserved.