Effect of Ce-rich rare earth on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10Zn-5Al-0.1Sb magnesium alloy

To improve the comprehensive mechanical properties of Mg-10Zn-5Al-0.1Sb magnesium alloy,different amount of Ce-rich rare earth(RE)was added to the alloy,and the effect of RE addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10Zn-5Al-0.1Sb alloy was investigated by means of Brinell hardness measurement, scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectroscope(EDS)and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The results show that an appropriate amount of Ce-rich rare earth addition can make the Al4Ce phase particles and CeSb phase disperse more evenly in the alloy.These phases refine the alloy’s matrix and make the secondary phases?-Mg 32 (Al,Zn)49 phase and?-Al 2 Mg5Zn2 phase]finer and more dispersive,therefore significantly improve the mechanical properties of the Mg-10Zn-5Al-0.1Sb alloy.When the RE addition is 1.0 wt.%,the tensile strengths of the alloy both at room temperature and 150oC reach the maximum values while the impact toughness is slightly lower than that of the matrix alloy.The hardness increases with the increase of RE addition.