Fracture behavior of AZ91 magnesium alloy

Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to examine the fracture behavior of AZ91 magnesium alloy ruptured by tensile and impact tests. AZ91 alloy generally revealed features of brittle fracture and cleavage is the principal fracture mode. The fracture behavior for tensile test is different from that for impact test due to different load forms. The fracture morphologies are different in different areas of the impact specimen. The Mg/Mg17Al12 interface often acted as the crack initiation source. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.