Improvement in the age-hardening response of Mg–Y–Zn alloys by Ag additions

While being creep resistant, Mg–Y–Zn alloys exhibit a poor age-hardening response when they are processed by conventional ingot metallurgy. In this work, the effects of Ag on precipitation in an Mg–6Y–1Zn–0.6Zr alloy are examined. It shows that the Ag additions can remarkably enhance the age-hardening response and that this significant improvement in hardening is associated with the formation of densely distributed basal precipitate plates that are not observed in the Ag-free alloy.