Visualization of three-dimensional pore morphologies in a high-pressure die-cast Mg–Al–RE alloy

Reconstruction and visualization of three-dimensional (3-D) pores are of interest for understanding microstructure–properties relationships in cast Mg-alloys. In this contribution, a montage serial sectioning technique is applied to reconstruct a large volume of the 3-D microstructure of a new high-pressure die-cast AE44 Mg-alloy at a high resolution. The 3-D reconstruction reveals that the shapes and morphologies of the gas pores in the AE44 alloy are substantially different from those in other important cast Mg-alloys, which may partly account for the AE44 alloy’s superior properties.