Unveiling precipitation behavior in Mg-Y based alloys
Qingchun Zhu, Yangxin Li, Zhigang Ding, Jian Wang, Yuxuan Liu, Huan Zhang, Tian Xie, Mingxu Wang, Hong Zhu, Tao Ying, Wei Liu, Xiaoqin Zeng
Abstract
Mg-Y based alloys exhibit a promising combination of strength and deformability through tuning precipitation and solute strengthening mechanisms and tailoring the activity of non-basal dislocations. Understanding the precipitation sequence of Mg-Y based alloys and its dependence on Yttrium concentration in the matrix will provide a guideline for fine tuning structure, morphology and distribution of precipitates in Mg-Y based alloys. In this paper, we explore the precipitation behaviors of Mg-11Y (wt%) and Mg-11Y-1Al (wt%) alloys using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, and rationalize the experimental observations based on first-principles density functional theory calculations. The precipitation sequence during ageing at 225 °C is identified to be SSSS → clusters/G.P. Zones →β′ (Mg7Y) → β′′/βt′′ (Mg3Y). A novel βt′′ phase forms through in-situ transformation from the β′ phase, which shares the same Mg3Y composition with D019-β′′ phase and exhibits the same cbco-structure as β′ phase in Mg-Y based alloys.