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Effects of pressure and aging treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of rheo-squeeze casting Mg–3Nd–0.2Zn–0.4Zr alloy

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Abstract

The influences of pressure and aging treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of rheo-squeeze casting (RSC) Mg–3Nd–0.2Zn–0.4Zr alloys were studied. It was found that the nucleation rate, solid solubility of Nd and Zn in the α-Mg matrix, and dislocation density were increased with increasing applied pressure. After aging treatment, the amount of the Zn2Zr3 phase was increased with increasing pressure; β″ phase and β′ precipitates were observed in the RSC alloy and finer β′ precipitates formed in the permanent mold casting (PMC) alloy. The mechanical properties of as-cast alloys were initially increased and then decreased with increasing pressure, while the properties of T6-treated alloys were increased continuously. Due to the larger grain boundary strengthening contribution, the T6-treated RSC sample showed higher mechanical properties than the PMC sample, and the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation could reach 165 MPa, 309 MPa, and 5.7%, respectively.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work is supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFB0701205) and Science Innovation Foundation of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (Nos. SAST2015047 and SAST2016048).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Research Center of Light Alloy Net Forming and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Material Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Yushi Chen, Guohua Wu, Wencai Liu, Liang Zhang & Song Zhang

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  1. Yushi Chen
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  2. Guohua Wu
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  3. Wencai Liu
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Correspondence to Guohua Wu or Wencai Liu.

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Chen, Y., Wu, G., Liu, W. et al. Effects of pressure and aging treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of rheo-squeeze casting Mg–3Nd–0.2Zn–0.4Zr alloy. Journal of Materials Research 33, 758–771 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.24

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