The microstructure, microsegregation, and mechanical properties of directional solidified Mg–3.0Nd–1.5Gd ternary alloys were experimentally studied. Experimental results showed that the solidification microstructure was composed of dendrite primary a（Mg） phase and interdendritic a（Mg） · Mg12（Nd, Gd） eutectic and Mg5 Gd phase. The primary dendrite arm spacing k1 and secondary dendrite arm spacing k2 were found to be depended on the cooling rate R in the form k1= 8.0415 9 10-6R-0.279 and k2= 6.8883 9 10-6R-0.205, respectively, under the constant temperature gradient of40 K/mm and in the region of cooling rates from 0.4 to 4 K/s. The concentration profiles of Nd and Gd elements calculated by Scheil model were found to be deviated from the ones measured by EPMA to varying degrees, due to ignorance of the back diffusion of the solutes Nd and Gd within a（Mg） matrix. And microsegregation of Gd depended more on the growth rate, compared with Nd microsegregation. The directionally solidified experimental alloy exhibited higher strength than the non-directionally solidified alloy, and the tensile strength of the directionally solidified experimental alloy was improved,while the corresponding elongation decreased with the increase of growth rate.
The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Mg-6 Zn-2 Gd-0.5 Zr alloy during homogenization treatment were investigated. The as-cast alloy was found to be composed of dendritic primaryα-Mg matrix, α-Mg +W（Mg;Zn;Gd;） eutectic along grain boundaries, and icosahedral quasicrystalline I（Mg;Zn;Gd） phase within α-Mg matrix. During homogenization process, α-Mg +W（Mg;Zn;Gd;） eutectic and I phase gradually dissolved into a-Mg matrix, while some rod-like rare earth hydrides（GdH2）formed within α-Mg matrix. Both the tensile yield strength and the elongation showed a similar tendency as a function of homogenization temperature and holding time. The optimized homogenization parameter was determined to be 505℃ for 16 h according to the microstructure evolution. Furthermore,the diffusion kinetics equation of the solute elements derived from the Gauss model was established to predict the segregation ratio of Gd element as a function of holding time, which was proved to be effective to evaluate the homogenization effect of the experimental alloy.
Directional solidification of Mg-2.35Gd （mass fraction, %） magnesium alloy was carried out to investigate the effects of the solidification parameters （growth rate v and temperature gradient G） on microstructure and room temperature mechanical properties under the controlled solidification conditions. The specimens were solidified under steady state conditions with different temperature gradients （G=20, 25 and 30 K/mm） in a wide range of growth rates （v=10-200 μm/s） by using a Bridgman-type directional solidification furnace with liquid metal cooling （LMC） technology. The cellular microstructures are observed. The cellular spacing 2 decreases with increasing v for constant G or with increasing G for constant v. By using a linear regression analysis the relationships can be expressed as 2=136.216v^-0.2440 （G=30 K/mm） and 2=626.5630G^-0.5625 （v=10 μm/s）, which are in a good agreement with Trivedi model. An improved tensile strength and a corresponding decreased elongation are achieved in the directionally solidified experimental alloy with increasing growth rate and tempertaure gradient. Furthermore, the directionally solidified experimental alloy exhibits higher room temperature tensile strength than the non-directionally solidified alloy.
Cu-0.81Cr-0.12Zr-0.05La-0.05Y(mass fraction) alloy was successively subjected to hot rolling, solid solution treatment, cold rolling and aging treatments. Its microstructure, microhardness and electrical conductivity at different states were systematically investigated. The as-cast microstructure consists of three phases: Cu matrix, Cr and Cu5 Zr. Zr is completely dissolved into the matrix while partial Cr remains after the solid solution treatment. Aging of the cold-rolled sample makes nanocrystals of Cr and Cu5 Zr precipitate from the matrix, and the microhardness and electrical conductivity rise. A combination of high microhardness(HV 186) and high conductivity(81% IACS) can be obtained by aging the sample at 773 K for 60 min. As the aging temperature increases, the orientation degree of the Cu crystals gradually decreases to zero, but the microstrain in them cannot be eliminated completely owing to the presence of precipitates and dislocations. The Cr precipitates exhibit the N-W orientation relationship with the matrix when the coherence strengthening mechanism plays a main role.
