Heterogeneous nucleation of β-type precipitates on nanoscale Zr-rich particles in a Mg-6Zn-0.5Cu-0.6Zr alloy
Zirconium (Zr) is an important alloying element to Mg-Zn-based alloy system. In this paper, we report the formation of the β-type precipitates on the nanoscale Zr-rich particles in a Mg-6Zn-0.5Cu-0.6Zr alloy during ageing at 180°C. Scanning transmission electron microscopy examinations revealed that the nanoscale Zr-rich [0001]α rods/laths are dominant in the Zr-rich core regions of the as-quenched sample after a solution treatment at 430°C. More significantly, these Zr-rich particles served as favourable sites for heterogeneous nucleation of the Zn-rich β-type phase during subsequent isothermal ageing at 180°C. This research provides a potential route to engineer precipitate microstructure for better strengthening effect in the Zr-containing Mg alloys.
Transmission electron microscopy study of age hardening in a Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloy
In the temperature range from 149 to 260°C, the Mg-5 wt. % Zn alloy age hardens by the precipitation of a coherent transition lattice, MgZn, in the form of long thin rods perpendicular to the basal plane. At temperatures below 149°C, formation of G.P. zones hardens the alloy after very long aging times. Upon loss of coherency, the MgZn$rods transform to idiomorphs of the equilibrium MgZn phase. Basal slip and 10–12 twinning are the principal deformation modes between 25 and − 196°C. A small temperature dependence of the flow stress was observed. 10–12 twinning shears the MgZn' rods, but slip dislocations bow between the widely spaced (1000–2000 A) MgZn$precipitates. Thus precipitation of MgZn$produces only a moderate increase in strength.
Phase diagram and magnetic properties of the diluted fcc system NipMg1-pO.
Starting from Ni and Mg nitrates, about 20 samples of ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{\mathit{p}}$${\mathrm{Mg}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{p}}$O samples (with 0.06\ensuremath{\le}p\ensuremath{\le}0.86) were prepared and x-ray-diffraction studies showed the samples to have the NaCl structure with the lattice constant fitting the expression a(p)=4.2115-0.0340p \AA{}. Temperature-dependent magnetic-susceptibility (\ensuremath{\chi}) studies of the samples were carried out between 1.8 and 600 K using a superconducting-quantum-interference-device magnetometer and N\'eel temperatures ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{N}}$'s were determined from the peak in \ensuremath{\partial}(\ensuremath{\chi}T)/\ensuremath{\partial}T. The variation of t=${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{N}}$(p)/${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{N}}$(1) vs p is compared with that of ${\mathrm{Co}}_{\mathit{p}}$${\mathrm{Mg}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{p}}$O. For both systems, the variations for pg0.31 are found to fit the predicted values for a simple-cubic Heisenberg antiferromagnet and a theoretical basis for this anomalous result is advanced. The experimental percolation threshold ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$=0.15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01 and for ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$p0.31, \ensuremath{\chi} below ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{N}}$ shows irreversible behavior for the zero-field-cooled and field-cooled cases, suggestive of spin-glass-like behavior also observed in other diluted fcc antiferromagnets, such as ${\mathrm{Co}}_{\mathit{p}}$${\mathrm{Mg}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{p}}$O and ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{\mathit{p}}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{p}}$Te. It is suggested that the differences in the t-vs-p variations for p0.31 in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{\mathit{p}}$${\mathrm{Mg}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{p}}$O, ${\mathrm{Co}}_{\mathit{p}}$${\mathrm{Mg}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{p}}$O, and ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{\mathit{p}}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{p}}$Te may be related to the differences in the ratio of the next-nearest-neighbor to nearest-neighbor exchange constants in these systems.