Microstructure evolution during reheating of extruded Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy into semisolid state

The microstructure evolution of an extruded Mg-8.57Gd-3.72Y-0.54Zr (mass fraction, %, GW94) alloy during reheating into the semisolid state was investigated using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Typical semisolid microstructure with globular solid particles distributed in the liquid matrix is obtained over 600 °C. The solid content of (Gd+Y) in the primary a-Mg particles decreases with increasing the semisolid temperature. With the prolongation of isothermal holding time, the liquid fraction does not change significantly, while the grains grow up and spheroidize. Three methods used to determine the liquid fraction as a function of temperature, namely quantitative metallography on quenched microstructures, cooling curve thermal analysis, and thermodynamic calculations were further compared.