Finite element simulation and experimental investigation on homogeneity of Mg-9.8Gd-2.7Y-0.4Zr magnesium alloy processed by repeated-upsetting

A novel severe plastic deformation (SPD) process called repeated-upsetting (RU), which produces homogenous samples of large size, is employed to process a high performance magnesium alloy Mg-9.8Gd-2.7Y-0.4Zr at 350 °C with 1-4 passes. Homogenous microstructure and mechanical properties can be achieved after 4 passes of RU. Experimental and finite-element modeling results show that effective strain accumulation with more passes can improve both grain refinement and micro-hardness of samples.