Long Period Stacking Ordered Phase Research Articles

Direct observation and characterization of a novel long period stacking ordered phase in GH4169 alloy

As is widely recognized, the Long Period Stacking Ordered (LPSO) phase is an important strengthening phase in the rare earth magnesium alloys. The LPSO phase not only enhances the strength of the alloy, but also improves its plasticity, thereby effectively addressing the strength-ductility trade-off phenomenon. Therefore, the preparation of metallic materials containing LPSO phase provides a new idea for designing a new generation of high-strength and high-toughness alloys. In present study, A novel nano-sized LPSO phase is observed and characterized for the first time in GH4169 nickel-based alloy. The results show that the stacking sequence of the LPSO phase is ABCBCBA, which indicates that this LPSO phase has a 6H structure. Meanwhile, the orientation relationships between LPSO phase and the Ni matrix are (11–1)γ//(0006)LPSO and [011]γ//[2-1-10]LPSO.

Improved hardness of Mg-0.5Ni-xY alloys via grain refinement and formation of LPSO structures

The effect of yttrium addition on the grain refinement, formation of long period stacking ordered (LPSO) structures, and improved hardness in hot extruded Mg99.5-xNi0.5Yx (x = 0, 0.5, and 1 at%) alloys was investigated. It was revealed that with increasing Y content, the volume fraction of the LPSO phase (VLPSO) increased, and the average dynamic recrystallization (DRX) grain size (D) was refined. It was shown and quantified that both VLPSO and D contribute to the improvement of hardness, where the deviation from the Hall-Petch relationship was ascribed to the strengthening effect of VLPSO. The equation of H = 36.7 + 0.64 VLPSO + 35/√D was proposed to quantify the synergistic effects of hardening mechanisms to predict the hardness of Mg99.5-xNi0.5Yx alloys after deformation by hot extrusion.

Phase equilibria and solidification behavior of Mg–Al–Gd casting alloys

The Mg–Al–Gd ternary system was re-assessed by the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) method and a set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters of the system were obtained. The long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases, 14H and 18R, were described by thermodynamic model of Mgx(TM,Mg)6(RE,Mg)8 (TM=Transition Metal, RE=Rare Earth). Representative isothermal sections, vertical sections, liquidus projections and the related invariant reactions were calculated and compared with the experimental data, showing the reliability of the obtained thermodynamic parameters. Reaction scheme for the whole ternary system was also presented. The Scheil solidification paths and the phase fractions of several Mg–Al–Gd alloys were calculated and analyzed. The phase formation during solidification and the phase content of γ and LPSO phases are clearly described with the increase of Gd content, which is crucial to the microhardness, ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of Mg–Al–Gd casting alloys.

Deformation mechanism and hardening behavior of gradient heterostructured magnesium alloys prepared by severe shear deformation

Lightweight equipment in aerospace and other fields urgently requires magnesium (Mg) alloys components with high-strength plasticity. For this reason, in this study, a gradient heterogeneous structure containing nanocrystallines was constructed successfully using a severe shear deformation process that combines severe plastic deformation techniques and torsional deformation characteristics. The evolution of the microstructure and hardness of Mg-12.12Gd-4.2Y-2.28Zn-0.36Zr (wt%) alloys prepared by severe shear deformation with changes in deformation temperature were investigated. The gradient heterogeneous structure of the alloys formed naturally under high hydrostatic pressure and severe shear stress, and its thickness increased with the deformation temperature. With the application of shear stress, a large amount of rotational dynamic recrystallization (RDRX) behavior occurs in the alloys, refining the coarse initial grains (∼126.3 µm) into fine grains (∼2.03 µm) or even ultrafine grains (∼1 µm). During the RDRX process, low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) began to form at high distorted grain boundaries and unique lamellar structures, followed by a rapid expansion into the interior of the grains, which ultimately results in the grains being completely covered by subgrains. Meanwhile, the continuously broken long-period stacking-ordered (LPSO) phase and the precipitated bright rare earth rich (RE-rich) phase provide a large number of nucleation sites, further promoting the refinement process of the grains. Subsequently, the grains were further refined to nanocrystallines through the formation and rotation of subgrains under continuous loading of stress. The massive formation of nano-precipitated phases (β phases) along grain boundaries were accompanied by the complete disappearance of other types of second phases. The sources of β phases formation include the layer-by-layer decomposition of the cellular phases and the dissolution/re-precipitation of the LPSO phases. In addition, the introduction of shear stress promotes the random orientation of the DRXed grains through the extensive activation of pyramidal <a> and pyramidal <c+a> slip. The hardness of the alloys gradually decreased as the cumulative strain decreased at different deformation temperature conditions. When the deformation temperature was 440°C, the alloys reached a maximum hardness of 127.67 HV, which was nearly 43.5% higher than homogenized alloys. The ultra-high hardness of the alloys prepared by severe shear deformation is mainly attributed to grain boundary hardening, diffusion hardening and hetero-deformation induced (HDI) hardening.

Scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography analysis of non-stoichiometry long-period-stacking-ordered structures in Mg-Ni-Y/Sm alloys

The long-period-stacking-ordered (LPSO) structure affects the mechanical, corrosion and hydrolysis properties of Mg alloys. The current work employs high angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and atom probe tomography (APT) to investigate the structural and local chemical information of LPSO phases formed in Mg-Ni-Y/Sm ternary alloys after extended isothermal annealing. Depending on the alloying elements and their concentrations, Mg-Ni-Y/Sm develops a two-phase LPSO + α-Mg structure in which the LPSO phase contains defects, hybrid LPSO structure, and Mg insertions. HAADF-STEM and APT indicate non-stoichiometric LPSO with incomplete Ni6(Y/Sm)8 clusters. In addition, the APT quantitatively determines the local composition of LPSO and confirms the presence of Ni within the Mg bonding layers. These results provide insight into a better understanding of the structure and hydrolysis properties of LPSO-Mg alloys.

Experiment and first-principles calculation to investigate the phenomenon of Gd and Y elemental enrichments in the long-period stacking ordered phase

In this study, the Gd and Y elemental enrichment in long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases has been systematically studied by combining energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) diagram and first-principles calculation. This phenomenon differs from the ordinary type of LPSO phase, which consists of only one rare earth element. It is highly likely that the observed effect is attributed to the preferential formation of the Mg-Y-Zn LPSO phase, which is subsequently replaced by the Gd element to form more stable Mg-Gd-Y-Zn LPSO phases. The results of the formation enthalpy and energy suggest that the most probable situation is one group of Gd (four atoms) replacing the Y atoms. The electronic properties and elastic properties were performed to investigate the bonding character and mechanical stability. It can be found that the substitutional doping of the Gd element is able to improve bonding strength and increase anisotropy. Therefore, this research explains the interesting phenomenon of Gd and Y elemental enrichment for in-depth understanding of LPSO phases, and provides valuable data that can be utilized for designing rare-earth magnesium alloys with improved properties.

Revealing the mechanism of Sm element on the long period stacking ordered structures of Mg–Zn-Gd alloy

In the current work, the mechanism of the Sm-modified Mg–Zn-Gd alloy and its effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast and as-aged alloy are systematically investigated. Experimental results reveal that adding Sm promotes the formation of long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase in as-cast Mg–Zn-Gd alloy. The reason is that the Sm element can reduce the stacking fault energy and introduce a large number of stacking faults (SFs) in the magnesium, which promotes the formation of the LPSO phase. During the heat treatment process, SFs and Mg3RE phases can promote the nucleation of β′ precipitates owing to the Mg3RE phase being coherent with the α-Mg matrix and LPSO phase. The Sm addition not only effectively refines the grain structure of as-cast alloy but also promotes the formation of stacking faults and the LPSO phase. The mechanical properties of Sm-containing alloys in as-cast and as-aged states are superior to Sm-free alloys, ascribed to the relatively refined grains, solid-solution strengthening, and sufficient fine β’ aging precipitates.

Contributions of multimodal microstructure in the deformation behavior of extruded Mg alloys containing LPSO phase

The unique control mechanisms of the plastic deformation of two-phase extruded alloy composed of Mg and long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase were clarified by comparison with those of other Mg solid-solution alloys, focusing on the question “why do the Mg/LPSO two-phase alloys exhibit both large elongation and high strength?”. The stress-strain curves for each grain in the alloys could be imaginary estimated using neutron diffraction analysis during the tensile test. The results demonstrate that the deformation behaviors of the worked and recrystallized grains are significantly different in all the Mg-extruded alloys owing to the strong plastic anisotropy in Mg with hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. Therefore, the deformation behavior is controlled by a composite-like deformation mechanism, even in single-phase Mg solid-solution alloys. In Mg-Y-Zn ternary alloys, the recrystallized Mg grains exhibited significant lattice softening at the initial stage of yielding owing to the escape of basal dislocations from the Y/Zn dragging atmosphere. However, the worked grains acted as strengthening components. In the Mg/LPSO two-phase alloy, the composite-like deformation behavior was enhanced, and the LPSO phase significantly contributed to the strengthening of the alloy. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the LPSO phase contributes not only to the alloy's strength but also to its elongation by increasing the work-hardening rate. We proposed the new concept “Anisotropic Mechanical property-Induced Ductilization (AMID)” by multimodal microstructure, to explain this phenomenon. As the physical origin for inducing AMID, kink-band strengthening in the LPSO phase is believed to be one of the reasons for the increase in the work-hardening rate of the extruded LPSO-phase grains in the Mg/LPSO two-phase alloy, resulting in an improved ductility.

Long-period stacking ordered phase kinking, twinning behavior and dynamic recrystallization of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy under severe shear deformation

A novel severe shear specimen with a maximum shear strain of 3 was designed to further clarify kinking and fragment behavior of long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases, as well as their interaction with twinning behavior and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior under severe shear deformation (SSD). The results indicate that promoted kinking and fragment behavior for LPSO phases is obseved for hihger activation of basal <a> dislocations induced by shear deformation. Besides the known crack causd by LPSO kinking, a new fragment process without kink bands formation is found for block-shaped LPSO phases under SSD, which follows three stages of micro-crack at the interface of LPSO/α-Mg matrix, crack and crush. Moreover, the actvition of tension twinning detected at kinked boundaries is reveled to be controlled by the combined effect of LPSO kinking and shear stress state. Specifically, crystal rotation related to LPSO kinking reorient grains to be possbile for twinning, and then high effective Schmid factor (ESF) under shear stress furter prioritise the twining acivaiton. Additionally, orientation dependence of DRX behaviors was weakened due to the particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanism caused by interdendritic block-shaped LPSO phases, which can accelerate the formation of low angle grain boundaries and DRX grains by activated pyramidal <c+a> slip systems even at basal grains.

Investigation of the Hot Deformation Behavior and Mechanism of a Medium-Entropy CoCr0.4NiSi0.3 Alloy

The CoCrNi-based medium-entropy alloys (MEA) have been extensively investigated due to their exceptional mechanical properties at both room and cryogenic temperatures. To investigate the hot deformation behavior and the recrystallization mechanism of the CoCr0.4NiSi0.3 medium-entropy alloy, a series of deformation tests was conducted using the MMS-100 thermal simulation tester, with deformation conditions of 0.001–1 s−1/850–1150 °C. During the hot deformation process, the flow stress initially increases up to its peak value before gradually decreasing towards a steady state level. Higher flow stress levels are observed with increasing strain rate and decreasing deformation temperature. The estimated activation energy for hot deformation of this alloy is approximately 423.6602 kJ/mol. The Arrhenius-type constitutive equation is utilized to establish a modified model while incorporating power dissipation theory and the instability criterion of a dynamic material model to construct power dissipation maps and instability maps. By superimposing these maps, hot processing maps with strains of 0.4, 0.5, and 0.7 are derived. In this investigation, it is observed that regions of instability exclusively occur when the true strain exceeds 0.4. These regions of instability on the hot processing map align well with experimental findings. The suitable range of parameters for hot-working decreases as the true strain increases. The microstructure was analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The volume fraction of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) decreases with increasing strain rate but diminishes with rising temperature. The TEM characterization elucidated the mechanism of DRX in this MEA. The presence of the long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase was observed in both the face-centered cubic matrix and hexagonal close-packed recrystallized grains under different deformation conditions. The LPSO phase originates from the matrix at a low strain rate, whereas it is generated during recrystallization at a high strain rate. The observed increase in flow stress of the as-cast MEA is primarily attributed to the synergistic effects arising from the interaction of the dislocation with twins and the second phase. The onset of instability is effectively suppressed within a limited range through the formation of coherent second phases such as L12, LPSO, and superlattice structures resulting from phase transitions. These second phases serve as nucleation sites for recrystallization and contribute to the strengthening of dispersion. Furthermore, their interaction with dislocations and twins significantly influences both flow stress behavior and recrystallization kinetics under hot deformation. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the underlying deformation mechanisms governing MEA but also offer valuable insights for designing CoCrNi-based alloys with improved mechanical properties at elevated temperatures.

Tailoring the degradation rate of magnesium-lithium alloy with alloying elements of gadolinium and nickel

To explore lightweight degradable materials that are more suitable for fracturing ball, Mg-8Li-4Gd-xNi (x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 wt%) alloys for fracturing ball in petroleum extraction were prepared by vacuum induction melting. The features and formation of long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) doped with gadolinium (Gd) and nickel (Ni) were characterized. And the relationship between the degradation rate of alloys and the structure of LPSO in duplex Mg-Li alloys is investigated. The results show that network 24 R LPSO phase and punctate GdNi3 phase are formed with the addition of Gd and Ni. With the increase of Ni content, the shape of LPSO changes from intermittent network to continuous network and turns into an intermittent network again. The Mg-8Li-4Gd-1.5Ni alloy shows a significant increment in weight loss rate compared with the Mg-8Li-4Gd alloy by 75 times. Atomic force microscope (AFM) results show that the addition of Ni increases the potential difference between the second phase and the β-Li phase from 220 mV to 504 mV. It is difficult for forming LPSO due to higher fault energy when the atomic ratio of Gd to Ni is lower than 4:3, which promotes the LPSO to intermittent network. LPSO and GdNi3 provide higher potentials as cathodes in corrosion, forming a loose and porous corrosion product layer in the alloy. With the increase of Ni content, micro-galvanic corrosion effect is increased which results in a significantly higher corrosion rate of the alloy.

Tailoring the microstructure and mechanical properties of LPSO-containing Mg–Ni cast alloy by yttrium addition

The effect of yttrium addition on the evolution of phases, grain refinement, and mechanical behavior of Mg-0.5Ni cast alloy was investigated. It was observed that while the base alloy contained a eutectic structure containing α-Mg and Mg2Ni, in the Y-containing alloys, the long period stacking ordered (LPSO) structures and Mg24Y5 phase appeared at the expense of the eutectic structure. The dendrite arm spacing (DAS) was significantly refined, so that adding 0.5 and 2 at% Y led to the refinement of DAS from 141 to 56 and 22 μm, respectively. Accordingly, hardness, tensile and shear strength were improved, being successfully represented by the Hall-Petch-type relationships in terms of DAS. The highest elongation to failure in tensile tests was obtained at 0.5 % Y addition, which was ascribed to the refinement of microstructure and partial replacement of the deleterious α-Mg + Mg2Ni eutectic structure by the LPSO phase. However, further addition of Y led to the formation of intergranular interconnected network of LPSO structure with deteriorated ductility. Therefore, the best strength-ductility synergy was obtained for the Mg99Ni0.5Y0.5 alloy, as evaluated by the tensile toughness. Finally, the tensile and shear properties were correlated according to the von-Mises criterion.

Study on the Microstructure and Properties of Mg-Gd-Ni-Y Alloy Containing LPSO Phase

The long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) structure, functioning as a strengthening phase in magnesium alloys, plays a pivotal role in compensating for inherent performance limitations. In this study, an as-cast Mg-Gd-Ni-Y alloy, including the LPSO phase, was initially obtained through an ingot metallurgy process. Subsequently, the alloy underwent distinct thermal treatments: annealing at 500 °C for 10 h, and extrusion using an extrusion ratio of 10 at a speed of 5 mm/s. Comparative analysis of the microstructure and corrosion characteristics was performed across these three alloy states. Comprising primarily of α-Mg, LPSO phase, and eutectic structures (ES), the alloy exhibited distinctive microstructural features. Immersion experiments conducted in a 3.5% NaCl solution revealed that the as-cast alloy displayed the highest dissolution rate at various temperatures, from room temperature, to 50 °C, and 70 °C. Following annealing, a reduction in the second phase content within the alloy significantly contributed to the observed decrease in its dissolution rate. Extrusion processes resulted in a denser network structure within the microarchitecture, to some extent impeding the spread of corrosion to some extent. By emloying scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) and micro-electrochemical testing, it was discerned that predominantly the electrochemical system involving α-Mg and the second phases predominantly dictated the heightened dissolution rate of the alloy. This study presents valuable insights into understanding the dissolution mechanisms and potential strategies for controlling the dissolution performance of magnesium alloys containing the LPSO phase.

Effects of Bulk LPSO Phases on Mechanical Properties and Fracture Behavior of As-Extruded Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr Alloys

Despite the consensus on the constructive effect of LPSO (long-period stacking-ordered) phases, the true effect of bulk LPSO phases on strengthening and toughening in deformed magnesium alloys is still controversial. This article, which introduces the alloys Mg-8Gd-4Y-0.6Zn-0.5Zr, without bulk LPSO phases, and Mg-8Gd-4Y-1.6Zn-0.5Zr, containing bulk LPSO phases, details a systematically comparative analysis conducted to clarify the true contribution of bulk LPSO phases to the properties of as-extruded alloys. The results indicate that bulk LPSO phases significantly improve strength by refining grain sizes remarkably. But contrary to expectations, bulk LPSO phases themselves only provide a small strengthening effect and deteriorate plasticity, ascribed to the poor compatible plastic deformation of bulk LPSO phases. More importantly, this work may offer new insights into the strengthening and toughening of LPSO phases for further research and engineering applications of this series of alloys. Additionally, an example of a design strategy for Mg-Gd-Y-Zn alloys with superior strength and excellent plasticity is proposed at the end of this article.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of extruded and rolled Mg–Y–Zn–Ni–Co alloy

The as-cast Mg–2Y-0.5Zn-0.5Ni-0.5Co alloy (MYZNC, at%) underwent composite hot working, extrusion and rolling to further improve the mechanical properties, and the corresponding microstructure and mechanical properties were also investigated. The extruded and rolled MYZNC alloy (MYZNC-R) consisted of α-Mg, a long period stacking order (LPSO) phase comprising lamellar and fine block 18R LPSO phase as well as a thin strip 14H LPSO phase, along small amounts of Mg2Y, MgY(Co,Zn,Ni)4 and Mg3(Co,Zn,Ni,Y) particle phases. After composite processing, the dispersion and amounts of LPSO phase in the alloy was significantly enhanced, accompanied by a substantial introduction of low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) during rolling process. The MYZNC-R alloy exhibited the high mechanical properties, with an ultimate tensile strength (σb) of 350 MPa, a yield strength (σ0.2) of 305 MPa and an elongation to failure (εf) of 10.6 %. In comparison to the extruded MYZNC alloy, both σb and σ0.2 demonstrated significant improvements by 25 % and 35.6 %, respectively. The elongation to failure only decreased by mere 1 %, indicating that the alloy had a good strength-plasticity. The high tensile strengths of MYZNC-R alloy were mainly attributed to grain refinement, LPSO phase strengthening and texture strengthening. The good ductility of MYZNC-R alloy was associated with the coordinated deformed LPSO phase and the formation of a high-volume fraction (∼76.5 %) of LAGBs.

Effects of B4C on the formation of LPSO phase and mechanical properties of Mg–Zn–Y–Mn alloy

Effects of B4C on the microstructure and properties of Mg94Zn2.5Y2.5Mn1 alloy were investigated by means of optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, nano indentation tester and electronic universal testing machine. The results indicated that the as-cast Mg94Zn2.5Y2.5Mn1 alloy was mainly composed of α-Mg, fishbone-like W phase, and block 18 R long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase. The addition of an appropriate amount of B4C could effectively refine grains, promote the formation of the LPSO phase and inhibit the generation of the W phase. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy were both optimal at the addition of 0.5 at.% B4C. The microstructure exhibited a refined grain size from 41.2 μm to 20.7 μm, and the volume fraction of the LPSO phase increased from 8.1 % to 22.5 %. The yield strength increases from 112 MPa to 145 MPa, the tensile strength of the alloy was enhanced from 192 MPa to 256 MPa, and the elongation increased from 4.8 % to 8.6 %.

Thermodynamic modelling for the long-period stacking ordered phase in Mg–Y–Al system: Construction and application

An adequate thermodynamic model is required for describing the long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase because previously developed models cannot account for the accurate atomic occupancy of the LPSO structure. In this study, atomic structures of the equilibrated 18R and 10H phases in Mg–Y–Al alloys were systematically investigated via atomic-resolution high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-TEM) and first-principles calculations. Three structures (α-type, β-type, and γ-type) with different numbers of Mg layers (one, two, and three, respectively) sandwiched between L12 structures were present in the 18R phase. Meanwhile, δ-type (without Mg layers), ε-type (with one Mg layer), and ζ-type (with two Mg layers) structures were detected in the 10H phase. The presence of the interstitial atoms in the L12 structure was confirmed by TEM and theoretical calculations. Based on the obtained results, a new thermodynamic model for the LPSO phase was constructed and successfully applied to establish the thermodynamic description of the Mg–Y–Al system. The CALPHAD-type calculation data obtained using the proposed thermodynamic description were in good agreement with the experimental results. The findings of this study can help elucidate the formation mechanism of LPSO phases and guide Mg–Y–Al alloy design.

Electronic and optical characteristics of long-period stacking ordered phases in Mg-Y-Zn alloys: A first-principles study

Electronic and optical properties of long-period stacking order (LPSO) phase in Mg-Y-Zn alloy are calculated and analyzed by first principles in this paper. The electronic properties and thermodynamic stability of 14 H and 18 R LPSO phases were studied by means of electron density of state (DOS), COHP analysis, electron localization function (ELF) and charge density distribution, and their optical properties, including absorption coefficient, reflectivity, refractive index, energy loss function and extinction coefficient, were discussed, and their variation trends with photon energy and related factors were analyzed. The findings indicate that both phases possess metallic characteristics and exhibit no energy gap. Furthermore, the thermodynamic stability of the 14 H phase surpasses that of the 18 R phase, owing to its stronger covalent bonds metal mixed bonds. In terms of absorption coefficients, both phases display high values within the energy range of 0–19 eV, with their most potent absorption peaks occurring at photon energies of 4.48 eV and 4.8 eV for the 14 H and 18 R phases, respectively. Moreover, the photon absorption rate is inversely proportional to the density of L12 clusters in both phases.

Dual influences of deformation-induced W precipitates on dynamic recrystallization and fracture mechanism of the hot-extruded Mg-Y-Zn alloys: An experimental and phase field study

Understanding the relationship between nano-sized precipitates and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) during thermo-mechanical processing is vital for developing high-performance Mg-based alloys. This work uses experiment and phase field model to investigate the dynamic precipitation of W particles and DRX grains in the hot-extruded Mg98.5Y1Zn0.5 alloys at 360, 380 and 400 °C and clarifies the fracture mechanisms in detail. The results reveal that under all temperatures, the hot-extruded Mg98.5Y1Zn0.5 alloys are composed of block 18R long-period stacking order (LPSO) phase, lamellar 14H-LPSO phase, W particles and a typical bimodal structure containing fine DRX grains and coarse non-DRX grains. Noted that the W particles not only promote the DRX nucleation by hindering dislocation motion to increase elastic energy, but also inhibit the growth of DRX grains by pinning grain boundaries during deformation. In addition, the strength decreases while the plasticity increases with increasing temperature for the hot-extruded Mg98.5Y1Zn0.5 alloys, but an excellent strength-plasticity balance is achieved at 400 °C. More importantly, analyzing the crack extension in non-DRX, DRX and non-DRX/DRX coexistence regions shows that a ductile-brittle fracture mechanism dominates in the non-DRX regions due to the difficulty of basal slip and low fracture toughness. But a hole-joining fracture mechanism dominates in the DRX regions. The fracture mechanism in the non-DRX/DRX coexistence region is mainly determined by the DRX volume fraction. These results can provide insights and valuable references for developing high-performance Mg-based alloys.

Design of LPSO Phases in Mg-Y-Ni Alloys to Impact Hydrogenation Kinetics

A series of Mg-Y-Ni alloys with different volume fractions of long-period stacking-ordered (LPSO) phase were prepared, by controlling the alloy composition, heat treatment, and single-pass extrusion, to assess the influence of increasing LPSO phase volume fraction on the hydrogen absorption and desorption properties of the extruded alloys. The LPSO phase volume fraction in the alloys increased with increasing solute concentration, from ~24% LPSO in Mg97Y2Ni1 (at.%) to ~60% LPSO in Mg93Y4Ni3 (at.%) up to ~92% LPSO in Mg91Y5Ni4 (at.%). The most refined microstructure was obtained in the alloy with highest volume fraction of LPSO phase. After 100 s at 300 °C, the Mg91Y5Ni4 alloy absorbed 4.6 ± 0.2 wt.% H while the Mg97Y2Ni1 and Mg93Y4Ni3 alloys each absorbed 3.8 ± 0.2 wt.% H. After 10,000 s at 300 °C, all three alloys had absorbed a maximum of 5.3 ± 0.2 wt.% H with no further significant difference in hydrogen absorption kinetics. The Mg91Y5Ni4 alloy desorbed 1.8 ± 0.2 wt.% H after 100 s at 300 °C against a vacuum while the Mg97Y2Ni1 and Mg93Y4Ni3 alloys desorbed 0.8 ± 0.2 wt. H and 0.6 ± 0.2 wt.% H, respectively. After 10,000 s at 300 °C, the Mg91Y5Ni4 and Mg97Y2Ni1 alloys completely desorbed 5.2 ± 0.2 wt.% H and 5.4 ± 0.2 wt.% H, respectively, but the Mg93Y4Ni3 alloy desorbed only 3.7 ± 0.2 wt.% H. Hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics were fastest in the Mg91Y5Ni4 alloy with the highest LPSO volume fraction, but no consistent trend with LPSO phase volume fraction was observed with the Mg93Y4Ni3 alloy, which showed the slowest absorption and desorption kinetics. The hydrogen pressures corresponding to metal–hydride equilibrium did not vary with LPSO phase volume fraction or alloy composition, indicating that the (de)hydrogenation thermodynamics were not significantly changed in any of the alloys. Hydrogen absorption experiments with thin foils, made of extruded Mg91Y5Ni4 alloy with the highest LPSO phase fraction, demonstrated that the LPSO structures decompose into Mg phase, Mg2Ni phase, lamellar Mg/Mg-Y structures, and YHx particles. This study shows that hydrogen kinetics can be impacted in Mg-Y-Ni alloys by controlling the LPSO phases using common metallurgical techniques.