Strengthening dual-phase Mg-Li alloy through precipitation control
Yu‐Chuan Huang, Fangzhou Qi, Jiawei Sun, Yangyang Xu, Youjie Guo, Jiaxin Yu, Yi Lei, Xinmiao Tao, Guohua Wu, Wencai Liu
Abstract
Inherent low strength is the major limitation of Mg-Li alloys. Through precise control of precipitates, the cast Mg-8Li-3Al-2Zn alloy obtained a high specific ultimate tensile strength of 213 kN·m·kg−1. Precipitates evolution during non-isothermal aging was investigated: strip-like Mg3(Al, Zn) in β-Li → globular Mg3(Al, Zn) in β-Li →Mg/Li(Al, Zn) core–shell and nanoscale rod-like Mg3(Al, Zn) in β-Li + Laves phase in α-Mg. The short-term high-temperature aging results in the precipitation of Laves phase in α-Mg and the formation of nanoscale rod-like Mg3(Al, Zn) and Mg/Li(Al, Zn) core–shell phase in β-Li, achieving synergistic strengthening of the dual matrix phases.