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Microstructure and tensile properties of a low-alloyed magnesium alloy: effect of extrusion temperature

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Abstract

A low-alloyed Mg-1.2Zn-0.1Ca (wt%) alloy was extruded at different temperatures (150 °C, 200 °C, 250 °C, 300 °C), and the effect of extrusion temperature on the microstructure and tensile properties was investigated systematically. While the as-cast alloy presented many cracks on the surface when extruded at 150 °C, it demonstrated good extrudability at temperatures above 200 °C. With increasing extrusion temperature from 200 to 300 °C, the average dynamic recrystallization (DRX) grain size increased from ~ 2.6 to ~ 6.4 μm, and < 10–10 > texture gradually transformed to < 11–21 > rare-earth texture component. Solute segregation was observed along grain boundaries and dislocations. The sample extruded at 200 °C exhibited a superior combination of both strength and ductility, with a yield strength of 179 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 228 MPa and an elongation of 35%. The improved tensile properties were mainly attributed to the fine grain size together with a high density of dislocations. The basal slip Schmid factor increased with increasing extrusion temperature due to the attainment of full DRX microstructure and the presence of non-basal texture component, which resulted in a lower yield strength at higher extrusion temperatures. The findings pave the way for the development of low-cost and low-alloyed high-performance magnesium alloys via the strategy of tailoring extrusion temperatures.

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Acknowledgements

This work was sponsored by the Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province (No. 2020B010186002), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong for Research Team (No. 2015A030312003) and National Study Abroad Fund. One of the authors (D.L. Chen) is also grateful for the financial support by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Key Laboratory for Advanced Metallic Materials Processing and Forming, National Engineering Research Center of Near-Net-Shape Forming for Metallic Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    H. Wang, D. T. Zhang, C. Qiu & W. W. Zhang

  2. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University (Formerly Ryerson University), Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada

    H. Wang & D. L. Chen

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Contributions

HW: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Data curation, Writing-original draft, Writing- review & editing. DTZ: Resources, Investigation, Writing-review & editing. CQ: Software, Methodology. WWZ: Conceptualization, Methodology. DLC: Investigation, Writing-review & editing.

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Wang, H., Zhang, D.T., Qiu, C. et al. Microstructure and tensile properties of a low-alloyed magnesium alloy: effect of extrusion temperature. J Mater Sci 58, 13502–13517 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-023-08877-7

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