AZ31-4.6% Mg2Si （mass fraction） composite was prepared by conventional casting method. Repetitive upsetting （RU） was applied to severely deforming the as-cast composite at 400 ℃ for 1, 3, and 5 passes. Finite element analysis of the material flow indicates that deformation concentrates in the bottom region of the sample after 1 pass, and much more uniform deformation is obtained after 5 passes. During multi-pass RU process, both dendritic and Chinese script type Mg2Si phases are broken up into smaller particles owing to the shear stress forced by the matrix. With the increasing number of RU passes, finer grain size and more homogeneous distribution of Mg2Si particles are obtained along with significant enhancement in both strength and ductility. AZ31-4.6%Mg2Si composite exhibits tensile strength of 284 MPa and elongation of 9.8%after 5 RU passes at 400 ℃ compared with the initial 128 MPa and 5.4%of original AZ31-4.6%Mg2Si composite.
Mg-xSi （x=0, 1.5, 3.3） alloys were fabricated and subjected to cyclic closed-die forging （CCDF）, a new severe plastic deformation process, at 450 ℃ for 1, 3, and 5 passes. With applying CCDF, tensile strength, elongation and hardness increase, while coarse Mg2Si particles break into smaller pieces and exhibit more uniform distribution. Mg-1.5%Si alloy exhibits a combination of improved strength and elongation after 5 passes of CCDF processing. The tensile strength is about 142 MPa and elongation is about 8%. The improvement in mechanical properties was further characterized by dry sliding wear testing. The results show that wear resistance improves with silicon content and CCDF process passes, particularly the first pass. The wear resistance increases by about 38% for Mg-3.3%Si after 5 passes of CCDF compared with pure Mg. The improvement of wear is related to microstructure refinement and homogenization based on the Archard equation and friction effect.
The microstructure, age hardening behavior and mechanical properties of an Mg-8.5Gd-2.3Y-1.8Ag-0.4Zr alloy prepared by casting and hot extrusion techniques were investigated. The solution-treated （T4 temper） alloys were extruded at 400, 450 and 500 °C with an extrusion ratio of 10：1, respectively. Optimized mechanical properties were obtained by extrusion at 400 °C followed by T5 treatment under the combined effects of grain refinement and precipitation strengthening. The alloy exhibits a grain size of about 5.0 μm, initial and peak microhardness of HV 109 and HV 129, respectively. The tensile yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation at room temperature are 391 MPa, 430 MPa and 5.2%, respectively.
