The effect of lanthanum on Microstructure & Mechanical properties of stir casted Mg alloy

Abstract

Magnesium alloys are used in aerospace and automobile industries due to their lowest density as compare to other metals and superior mechanical properties. Mg-Al-Zn alloy was casted with stir casting technique. The sparkling mechanical properties of these materials and their moderately small invention expenditure formulate them a very attractive candidate for a range of applications both from scientific and technological point of view. The plan concerned in cast alloy is to combine the attractive attributes of Mg-20Al-5Zn and rare earth element (REM) Lanthanum. The microstructure and mechanical properties are investigated on the developed alloys. Microstructures are investigated by optical microscopy and phase of alloy can be identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) technique. The mechanical properties of Micro hardness and tensile strength are also determined. The addition of lanthanum has been found to increase tensile strength and hardness by virtue of formation of the reticular Al11La3 and Mg17Al12 phases. Ultimately, the intended addition of rare earth element lanthanum helps to attain the better properties of the Mg alloy.