Effects of ultrasonic treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-5Zn-2Er alloy

The effects of ultrasonic treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-5Zn-2Er alloy at room temperature (RT) and high temperature (HT) were investigated. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the samples were studied by OM, SEM and MTS material tester. The results show that the microstructure and mechanical properties are improved after the ultrasonic vibration. The best effects of ultrasonic vibration on microstructure and mechanical properties were obtained with the ultrasonic vibration power of 600 W and time of 100 s. The cavitation and acoustic streaming caused by ultrasonic treatment play a major role in refining the microstructure and increasing mechanical properties of the alloy.