Microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast and extruded Mg-8Li-3Al-2Zn-0.5Nd alloy

Mg-8Li-3Al-2Zn-0.5Nd (wt%) alloy was prepared by casting and deformed by hot extrusion in this study. The microstructure of as-cast and extruded samples was analyzed with OM, XRD, SEM and EDS. The results show that, as-cast Mg-8Li-3Al-2Zn-0.5Nd alloy is composed of α-Mg, β-Li, AlLi, MgLi2Al and Al2Nd phases. The microstructure is refined after hot extrusion. Al2Nd phase is crushed and distributed uniformly along the extrusion direction. The mechanical properties of Mg-8Li-3Al-2Zn-0.5Nd alloy are also improved after hot extrusion. The improvement in mechanical properties is mainly attributed to the grain refinement and dispersion strengthening.