Effect of ZRB2-modified on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Y-Mn alloy

The ZrB2 particles firstly modified Mg94Zn2.5Y2.5Mn1 alloy. And the microstructures and mechanical performances of the modified alloys were studied systematically. The results showed that the moderate addition of ZrB2 accelerated the development of long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) structure and refined the grain size. The grains in ZrB2-modified alloys were nearly equiaxed with a homogeneous size. When 0.0075 wt% ZrB2 was added, the as-cast alloy with the finest grains (24.87 µm) presented desirable mechanical properties (especially ductility) with maximum tensile strength and ductility of 225 MPa and 17.5%, respectively.