Textures and mechanical properties in rare-earth free quasicrystal reinforced Mg–Zn–Zr alloys prepared by extrusion

Abstract

Microstructure and mechanical properties of quasicrystals dispersed Mg alloys prepared by warm extrusion of the mixtures of Mg and Zn–Mg–Zr quasicrystalline (Qc) powders have been studied. Strong texture oriented along a 1 0 1 ¯ 0 direction observed in pure Mg was reduced in Qc-dispersed samples, as verified by pole figure method and electron back scattering diffraction. The ultimate tensile strengths at 150 °C for Qc-dispersed extrusions were much higher than 110 MPa for pure Mg, which drastically reached 156 MPa for 15 wt.% Qc by preventing the motion of dislocations. Elongation was improved by the randomization of grain orientation: from 5.7% for pure Mg to 12.9% for 10 wt.% Qc at room temperature; from 15% for pure Mg to 37.1% for 5 wt.% Qc at 150 °C.