The role of grain boundary plane orientation in the β phase precipitation of an Al–Mg alloy

This study explores how grain boundary plane orientation affects β phase (Al3Mg2) precipitation in an Al–Mg alloy. The orientations of selected grain boundary planes were measured and related to their corresponding β phase thicknesses. It was found that grain boundaries with plane orientations close to {1 1 0} appear vulnerable to β precipitation. Additionally, the sputtered Al–Mg demonstrated improved resistance to β precipitation compared to the conventional Al–Mg, which could be attributed to its special columnar grain boundary plane orientations.