Al8Mn5 in High-Pressure Die Cast AZ91: Twinning, Morphology and Size Distributions

Abstract

Manganese-bearing intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are important for limiting micro-galvanic corrosion of magnesium-aluminum alloys and can initiate cracks under tensile load. Here, we use electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), deep etching, and focussed ion beam (FIB) tomography to investigate the types of Al-Mn phases present, their faceted growth crystallography, and their three-dimensional distribution at different locations in high-pressure die cast (HPDC) AZ91D. The Al-Mn particle size distributions were well-described by lognormal distributions but with an additional population of externally solidified crystals (ESCs) formed in the shot chamber analogous to α-Mg ESCs. The large Al8Mn5 particles were cyclic twinned. Differences in the particle size distributions and number density in the center compared with the HPDC skin are identified, and the spatial relationship between Mg17Al12 and Al-Mn particles is explored.