Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of alloying and nano-reinforcement on the mechanical properties (microhardness, tensile strength, and compressive strength) of Mg-based alloys and composites. Pure Mg, Mg-3Sn alloy, and Mg-3Sn + 0.2 GNP alloy-nanocomposite were synthesized by powder metallurgy followed by hot extrusion. The microstructural characteristics of the bulk extruded samples were explored using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and optical microscopy and their mechanical properties were compared. The microhardness, tensile strength, and compressive strength of the Mg-3Sn alloy improved when compared to those of monolithic Mg sample and further improvements were displayed by Mg-3Sn + 0.2 GNP alloy-nanocomposite. No significant change in the compressive strain to failure was observed in both the alloy and the alloy-nanocomposite with respect to that of the pure Mg sample. However, an enhanced tensile strain to failure was displayed by both the alloy and the alloy-nanocomposite.
Highlights
Magnesium is widely used as a high-performance structural material due to its low density, good hardness, and high specific strength [1,2,3]
The investigations revealed that the poor creep resistance exhibited by Mg-Al alloys at elevated temperatures is due to the dissolution of the Mg17Al12 phase
The results reveal that the α-Mg phase was present in both the Mg-3Sn alloy and the Mg-3Sn + 0.2 Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) alloy-nanocomposite
Summary
Magnesium is widely used as a high-performance structural material due to its low density, good hardness, and high specific strength [1,2,3]. The Mg alloys of AZ (Mg-Al-Zn) and AM (Mg-Al-Mn) series are the most cost-effective ones among the available limited choices; they exhibit low strength and low creep resistance at elevated temperature. They exhibit poor creep resistance properties above 125 ◦C, and cannot be used in automotive power-train, transmission-case, and engine-block components. The wrought magnesium alloys of rare earth elements Gd and/or, Y, Nd, Dy have been developed for higher temperature applications. In order to fulfill industrial needs for wider applications, the development of novel magnesium alloys with better strength and creep resistance at lower costs is very necessary [14]. Bowles and Abu Leil’s works demonstrated that the incorporation of Ca in Mg-Sn alloys largely improves the creep resistance of the Mg-Sn alloys due to the formation of thermally stable Mg2Ca and MgCaSn phases [20,21]
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