Grain refinement of AZ31 Mg alloy during cyclic extrusion compression (CEC) at 225-400 °C was investigated quantitatively by electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD). Results show that an ultrafine grained microstructure of AZ31 alloy is obtained only after 3 passes of CEC at 225 °C. The mean misorientation and the fraction of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) increase gradually by lowering extrusion temperature. Only a small fraction of twinning is observed by EBSD in AZ31 Mg alloys after 3 passes of CEC. Schmid factors calculation shows that the most active slip system is pyramidal slip and basal slip {0001} at 225-350 °C and 400 °C, respectively. Direct evidences at subgrain boundaries support the occurrence of continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) mechanism in grain refinement of AZ31 Mg alloy processed by CEC.

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 °C 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 °C compared with the initial 128 MPa and 5.4% of original AZ31-4.6%Mg₂Si composite.

The microstructure, the content of compounds, mechanical properties and fracture behavior of high vacuum die casting Mg-8Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy (mass fraction, %) under T4 condition and T6 condition were investigated. The microstructure for the as-cast Mg-8Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy mainly consists of α-Mg and eutectic Mg₂₄(Gd,Y)₅ compound. After solution treatment, the eutectic compounds dissolve massively into the Mg matrix. The main composition of solution-treated alloys is supersaturated α-Mg and cuboid-shaped phase. The T4 heat treated samples have increasing cuboidal particles with the increase of heat treatment temperature, which turn out good mechanical properties. The optimum T4 heat treatment for high vacuum die cast Mg-8Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy is 475 °C, 2 h according to microstructure results. The optimum ultimate strength and elongation of solution-treated Mg-8Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy are 222.1 MPa and 15.4%, respectively. The tensile fracture mode of the as-cast, and T6 heat treated alloys is transgranular quasi-cleavage fracture.

GW63K (Mg-6Gd-3Y-0.5Zr) magnesium alloys were prepared successfully by high-vacuum die-casting. Effects of fast shot speed and vacuum level on the grain size and mechanical properties of this alloy were studied. Microstructure of the alloys was analyzed by SEM, EDX and optical microscope (OM). The effect of heat treatment on high vacuum die-casting (HVDC) GW63K alloy was also studied. The results indicate that with the increase of fast velocity, the tensile yield strength hardly changes, but the elongation first increases, then decreases. The optimum heat treatment process is solution treatment at 748 K for 2 h and aging at 473 K for 80 h. Under this condition, GW63K magnesium alloy exhibits a maximum tensile strength and elongation of 308 MPa and 9.45%. There is significant correlation between ductility and the presence of external solidified cells (ESCs). The as-cast GW63K alloy consists of α-Mg and Mg₂₄(Gd,Y)₅ particles. After heat treatment, Gd and Y atoms dissolve into α-Mg matrix.

Electropulsing rolling (ER) and warm rolling (WR) processes were performed to roll AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets. Mechanical properties, microstructure and texture evolution of these specimens were investigated after rolling. The results indicate that electropulsing accelerates the recrystallization of AZ31 alloy sheets during hot rolling. After electropulsing rolling at a relatively low temperature, the microstructure of the sample shows fine equiaxed recrystallized grains with a lower density of dislocations and precipitates. In contrast, the microstructure of the sample after warm rolling shows elongated grain, numerous deformed twins, and a high density of dislocation and precipitates. Electropulsing rolling helps weaken the basal fiber texture. Although both the alloy sheets (ER and WR) have typical basal fiber texture, the maximum pole intensity of basal in ER sample is weaker. ER sheet has higher yield strength and elongation compared to WR sheet. As a promising technique, electropulsing rolling can be used to improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of materials.

A Mg-14.28Gd-2.44Zn-0.54Zr (mass fraction, %) alloy was prepared by conventional ingot metallurgy (I/M). The microstructure differences in as-cast and solution-treated alloys were investigated. Sliding tribological behaviors of the as-cast and solution-treated alloys were investigated under oil lubricant condition by pin-on-disc configuration. The wear loss and friction coefficients were measured at a load of 40 N and sliding speeds of 30-300 mm/s with a sliding distance of 5000 m at room temperature. The results show that the as-cast alloy is mainly composed of α-Mg solid solution, the lamellar 14H-type long period stacking ordered (LPSO) structure within matrix, and β-[(Mg,Zn)₃Gd] phase. However, most of the β-phase transforms to X-phase with 14H-type LPSO structure after solution heat treatment at 773 K for 35 h (T4). The solution-treated alloy presents low wear-resistance, because the hard β-phase is converted into thermally-stable, ductile and soft X-Mg₁₂GdZn phase with LPSO structure in the alloy.

The effect of Zn addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of the Mg-2Er alloy was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the alloys with 1% and 2% Zn (mass fraction) are composed of the W-phase and the α-Mg matrix. Meanwhile, the addition of 4%-10% Zn results in the formation of the I-phase, the W-phase and the α-Mg matrix. When the addition of Zn reaches 12%, the W-phase disappears and the phase constituents of the alloys mainly include the I-phase and the Mg₄Zn₇ phase besides the α-Mg solid solution. The alloy containing 6% Zn has better mechanical properties, of which the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and the yield tensile strength (YTS) are about 224 MPa and 134 MPa, respectively, companying an elongation of 10.4%.

Mg-2.2Nd-xSr-0.3Zr alloys (x=0, 0.4 and 0.7, mass fraction, %) were prepared by gravity casting. Solution treatment was conducted on the as-cast alloys to homogenize microstructure, and hot extrusion was subsequently conducted. Microstructure was observed using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Biocorrosion behaviors of the alloy in simulated body fluid were analyzed by mass loss, hydrogen evolution and Tafel polarization experiments. The results show that the amount of residual eutectic phase of the solution treated alloys increases with increasing Sr addition, and the grains are significantly refined after hot extrusion. The corrosion resistance of the solution treated alloys deteriorates apparently with increasing Sr addition, while the corrosion resistance of the as-extruded alloys is improved with Sr addition. Nevertheless, the biocorrosion behavior of the as-extruded alloys obtained by Tafel polarization shows different trends from those obtained by the other two methods.

Deformation twinning, i.e., twin nucleation and twin growth (or twin boundary migration, TBM) activated by impinged basal slip at a symmetrical tilt grain boundary in HCP Mg, was examined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results show that the -type twinning acts as the most preferential mode of twinning. Once such twins are formed, they are almost ready to grow. The TBM of such twins is led by pure atomic shuffling events. A secondary mode of twinning can also occur in our simulations. The twinning is observed at 10 K as the secondary twin. This secondary mode of twinning shows different energy barriers for nucleation as well as for growth compared with the -type twining. In particular, TBMs in this case is triggered intrinsically by pyramidal slip at its twin boundary.

To improve the corrosion resistance, electrodeposition of Cu coating on Mg-3.0Nd-0.2Zn-0.4Zr (mass fraction, % NZ30K) magnesium alloy via an appropriate pretreatment was investigated. The surface morphologies, compositions and microstructures of the pretreated films and Cu coating were characterized in detail. The results show that the activation film consists of fluoride and phosphates and Zn immersion film forms preferentially on the eutectic compound Mg₁₂Nd phase region. A smooth, uniform and dense Cu coating is successfully obtained. Potentiodynamic polarization tests reveal that Cu coating can greatly improve the corrosion resistance of NZ30K magnesium alloy. Open circuit potential (OCP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests during long-term immersion further demonstrate that Cu coating can provide an effective protection for NZ30K magnesium alloy from corrosion up to ~60 h, due to its dense structure and a stable passive film formed. In addition, Cu coating exhibits good adhesion to substrate as confirmed by thermal shock test.

A new method for synthesizing Mg-Al hydrotalcite conversion coating on AZ91D Mg alloy was developed by the application of electric field (EF). By using EF technique, the formation time of the coating can be significantly reduced. The SEM results indicate that a continuous and compact Mg-Al hydrotalcite coating is formed on the surface of Mg alloy after short time EF treatment. However, a long time treatment would make the coating partially exfoliate. The corrosion current density (J_corr) of the coated sample (EF1+1 h) is approximately two orders of magnitude lower than that of Mg alloy substrate. The test of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and immersion corrosion also suggest that the coating can effectively protect Mg alloy against corrosion.

Electroless nickel plating on AZ91D substrate with a new and eco-friendly pretreatment process based on tuning an electrochemical homogeneous surface was investigated. The morphology, deposition process, chemical composition and microstructure of Ni-P coating were studied. It is indicated that β phases are selectively removed, producing a microstructural homogeneous surface and the subsequent uniform and compact Zn immersion layer. A defect-free and well adhesive Ni-P coating can be successfully obtained due to its uniform nucleation and growth based on such pretreatment. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests reveal that Ni-P coating could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of AZ91D substrate.

Mg-based Mg-TiO₂ composite powder was prepared by arc plasma evaporation of the Mg+5%TiO₂ mixture followed by passivation in air. ICP, XRD and SEM techniques were used to characterize the composition, phase components and microstructure of the composite powder. The hydrogen sorption properties of the composite powder were investigated by DSC and PCT techniques. According to the data from PCT measurements, the hydrogenation enthalpy and entropy changes of the composite powder are calculated to be -71.5 kJ/mol and -130.1 J/(K？mol), respectively. Besides, the hydrogenation activation energy is determined to be 77.2 kJ/ mol. The results indicate that TiO₂ added into Mg by arc plasma method can act as a catalyst to improve the hydrogen sorption kinetic properties of Mg.

Microstructural evolution of a cold-rolled Al-Mn-Fe-Si alloy during annealing was studied. Except the as-cast variant, two other different homogenizations were considered, one gave a high density of fine dispersiods providing a considerable Zener drag influencing the softening behavior while the other gave a lower density of coarser dispersoid structure providing a much smaller drag effect. The gradual microstructural evolutions during annealing for the three variants were captured by interrupting annealing at different time. Effects of microchemistry state on recrystallization kinetics, recrystallized grain structure and texture were characterized by EBSD. It is demonstrated that the actual softening kinetics, final microstructure and texture are a result of delicate balance between processing condition and microchemistry state. Strong concurrent precipitation takes place in the case with high concentration of Mn in solid solution, which suppresses nucleation and retards recrystallization and finally leads to grain structure of coarse elongated grains dominated by a P texture component together with a ND-rotated cube component. On the contrary, when solute content of Mn is low and pre-existing dispersoids are relatively coarser, faster recrystallization kinetics is exhibited together with an equiaxed grain structure with mainly cube texture.

Microstructure evolution and dislocation configurations in nanostructured Al–Mg alloys processed by high pressure torsion (HPT) were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM). The results show that the grains less than 100 nm have sharp grain boundaries (GBs) and are completely free of dislocations. In contrast, a high density of dislocation as high as 10¹⁷ m^-2 exists within the grains larger than 200 nm and these larger grains are usually separated into subgrains and dislocation cells. The dislocations are 60° full dislocations with Burgers vectors of 1/2á110？ and most of them appear as dipoles and loops. The microtwins and stacking faults (SFs) formed by the Shockley partials from the dissociation of both the 60° mixed dislocation and 0° screw dislocation in ultrafine grains were simultaneously observed by HRTEM in the HPT Al–Mg alloys. These results suggest that partial dislocation emissions, as well as the activation of partial dislocations could also become a deformation mechanism in ultrafine-grained aluminum during severe plastic deformation. The grain refinement mechanism associated with the very high local dislocation density, the dislocation cells and the non-equilibrium GBs, as well as the SFs and microtwins in the HPT Al-Mg alloys were proposed.

Structural features, aging behavior, precipitation kinetics and mechanical properties of a 6013 Al–Mg–Si aluminum alloy subjected to equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at different temperatures were comparatively investigated with that in conventional static aging by quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile tests. Average grain sizes measured by XRD are in the range of 66-112 nm while the average dislocation density is in the range of 1.20×10¹⁴-1.70×10¹⁴ m^{-2 in the deformed alloy.} The DSC analysis reveals that the precipitation kinetics in the deformed alloy is much faster as compared with the peak-aged sample due to the smaller grains and higher dislocation density developed after ECAP. Both the yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) are dramatically increased in all the ECAP samples as compared with the undeformed counterparts. The maximum strength appears in the samples ECAP treated at room temperature and the maximum YS is about 1.6 times that of the statically peak-aged sample. The very high strength in the ECAP alloy is suggested to be related to the grain size strengthening and dislocation strengthening, as well as the precipitation strengthening contributing from the dynamic precipitation during ECAP.

The Al-9Zn-2.8Mg-2.5Cu-xZr-ySc alloys (x=0, 0.15%, 0.15%; y=0, 0.05%, 0.15%), produced by low-frequent electromagnetic casting technology, were subjected to homogenization treatment, hot extrusion, solution and aging treatment. The effects of minor Sc and Zr addition on microstructure, recrystallization and properties of alloys were studied by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that Sc and Zr addition can refine grains of the as-cast alloy by precipitation of primary Al₃(Sc,Zr) particles formed during solidification as heterogeneous nuclei. Secondary Al₃(Sc,Zr) precipitates formed during homogenization treatment strongly pin the movement of dislocation and subgrain boundaries, which can effectively inhibit the alloys recrystallization. Compared with the alloy without Sc and Zr addition, the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Zr alloy with 0.05% Sc and 0.15% Zr shows the increase in tensile strength and yield strength by 172 MPa and 218 MPa, respectively. Strengthening comes from the contributions of precipitation, substructure and grain refining.

Effects of Zr addition on the microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of Al-Mn-Si-Zn alloy were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations reveal that, in as-annealled state, the precipitates in the Zr-containing alloy are finer and more dispersive than those in the Zr-free alloy. Whereas, in simulated brazing state, a weaker precipitation is found in the Zr-containing alloy. Tensile testing results indicate that, with Zr additon, comprehensive mechanical properties of the as-annealed alloys could be significantly improved but weakened for the simulated brazing alloy. Electrochemical testing results reveal that, with Zr addition, the corrosion resistance of the as-annealed alloy decreases. However, after the simulated brazing treatment, such a negative effect of Zr element on the corrosion behavior of the alloy could be negligible.

The microstructure, microhardness and quasi-static failure behavior of resistance spot welds of AA6111-T4 aluminum alloy were experimentally investigated. Optical metallography and high-resolution hardness traverses were utilized to characterize the weld nugget, heat affected zone and base metal. The AA6111 spot welds displayed a softer nugget and hardened heat affected zone, compared with the base metal. The through-thickness hardness of the base metal sheet was not constant and had to be carefully considered to determine the effect of welding on material properties. Quasi-static lap-shear tensile tests were used to determine the failure load and failure mode. All tensile specimens failed through the interfacial fracture. This failure mode is consistent with the observed reduced hardness in the weld nugget.

A novel method of screw extrusion was used for producing a bimetal composite Al/Mg from granules containing aluminium alloy 6063 (AA6063) and commercial pure magnesium. Up to 12.5% (mass fraction) pure magnesium was added to the aluminium alloy. In general, the material consisted of a fine grained microstructure. In addition to the phases originating from the input materials, intermetallic phases were observed as islands consisting of the Al₂Mg₃ phase surrounded by γ-Mg₁₇Al₁₂, throughout the microstructure. The mechanical properties of the extruded material showed a gradual increase in strength with increasing the addition of Mg. The highest registered UTS, well above 350 MPa, was observed for the material containing 10% Mg. Examinations of the fracture surfaces indicated that increasing the magnesium content led to a higher degree of brittle fracture and a gradual change of the fracture micro-mechanisms. The optimization of the post-extrusion processing conditions is still ongoing.

TiB₂/Al-30Si composites were fabricated via in-situ melt reaction under high-energy ultrasonic field. The microstructure and wear properties of the composite were investigated by XRD, SEM and dry sliding testing. The results indicate that TiB₂ reinforcement particles are uniformly distributed in the aluminum matrix under high-energy ultrasonic field. The morphology of the TiB₂ particles is in circle-shape or quadrangle-shape, and the size of the particles is 0.1-1.5 μm. The primary silicon particles are in quadrangle-shape and the average size of them is about 10 μm. Hardness values of the Al-30Si matrix alloy and the TiB₂/Al-30Si composites considerably increase as the high energy ultrasonic power increases. In particular, the maximum hardness value of the in-situ composites is about 1.3 times as high as that of the matrix alloy when the ultrasonic power is 1.2 kW, reaching 412 MPa. Meanwhile, the wear resistance of the in-situ TiB₂/Al-30Si composites prepared under high-energy ultrasonic field is obviously improved and is insensitive to the applied loads of the dry sliding testing.

Al₂O_3p-Al composites were synthesized using an in-situ reaction in the 80%Al-20%CuO (mass fraction) system. The effects of the CuO particle size on the synthesis temperature and microstructure of the composites were investigated by various methods. The results indicate that the CuO particle size has a significant effect on the temperature at which the complete reaction in the Al-CuO system occurs: the temperature is 200 °C lower in the Al-CuO system containing CuO particles with sizes less than 6 μm than that containing CuO particles with sizes less than 100 μm. The interfacial bonding between Al₂O₃ particles and Al is not complete when the temperature is below a critical value. The morphology of the Al₂O₃ particles varies from ribbon-like shape to near spherical shape when the temperature is above a critical value. These two critical temperatures are affected by the particle size of CuO, and the critical temperature of the sample containing CuO particles with sizes less than 6 μm is 100 °C lower than that of the sample containing CuO particles with sizes less than 100 μm.

The pitting corrosion behaviors of 7A60 aluminum alloy in the retrogression and re-aging (RRA) temper were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical noise (EN) techniques, and the microstructure and the second phase content of the alloy were observed and determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The results show that there exist two different corrosion stages for 7A60 alloy in 3.5% NaCl solution, and the corrosion process can be detected by the appearance of EIS spectrum with two capacitive time constants and the wavelet fractal dimension D extracted from EN. SEM and EDS results also demonstrate that severe pitting corrosion in 7A60 alloy is mainly caused by electrochemical active MgZn₂ particles, secondly by Al₂MgCu and Mg₂Si. Al₇Cu₂Fe particles make little contribution to the pitting corrosion of 7A60 alloy.

A novel SnO₂-based gas anode was developed for aluminum electrolysis in molten cryolite at 850 °C to reduce energy consumption and decrease CO₂ emissions. Hydrogen was introduced into the anode, participating in the anode reaction. Carbon and aluminum were used as the cathode and reference electrodes, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry was applied in the cell to investigate the electrochemical behavior of oxygen ion on platinum and SnO₂-based materials. The potential for oxygen evolution on these electrode materials was determined. Then, galvanostatic electrolysis was performed on the gas anode, showing a significant depolarization effect (a decrease of ~0.8 V of the anode potential) after the introduction of hydrogen, compared with no gas introduction or the introduction of argon. The results indicate the involvement of hydrogen in the anode reaction (three-phase-boundary reaction including gas, electrolyte and electrode) and give the possibility for the utilization of reducing gas anodes for aluminum electrolysis.

The wetting behavior between liquid aluminium and substrates made from industrial Al₂O₃ and SiC based ceramic foam filters (CFF) was investigated. The same CFF filters were also tested in plant scale filtration experiments. The wetting experiment results show that the SiC based filter material is better wetted by liquid aluminium than the Al₂O₃ based filter material. This indicates that the improved wetting of aluminium on a filter material is an advantage for molten metal to infiltrate the filter during priming. Also, better wetting of Al-filter might increase the removal efficiency of inclusions during filtration due to better contact between filter and metal. Non-wetted inclusions are easier to be removed.

Additive layer manufacturing (ALM) of aerospace grade titanium components shows great promise in supplying a cost-effective alternative to the conventional production routes. Complex microstructures comprised of columnar remnants of directionally solidified β-grains, with interior inhabited by colonies of finer α-plate structures, were found in samples produced by layered plasma welding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The application of in-situ tensile tests combined with rapid offline electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis provides a powerful tool for understanding and drawing qualitative correlations between microstructural features and deformation characteristics. Non-uniform deformation occurs due to a strong variation in strain response between colonies and across columnar grain boundaries. Prismatic and basal slip systems are active, with the prismatic systems contributing to the most severe deformation through coarse and widely spaced slip lines. Certain colonies behave as microstructural units, with easy slip transmission across the entire colony. Other regions exhibit significant deformation mismatch, with local build-up of strain gradients and stress concentration. The segmentation occurs due to the growth morphology and variant constraints imposed by the columnar solidification structures through orientation relationships, interface alignment and preferred growth directions. Tensile tests perpendicular to columnar structures reveal deformation localization at columnar grain boundaries. In this work connections are made between the theoretical macro- and microstructural growth mechanisms and the observed microstructure of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, which in turn is linked to observations during in-situ tensile tests.

Electrical conductivity of molten binary and ternary mixtures based on the system NaF-AlF₃-SiO₂ was investigated by means of a tube–cell (made of pyrolytic boron nitride) with stationary electrodes. Viscosity of the binary system Na₃AlF₆-SiO₂ was measured by computerized torsion pendulum method. It was found that conductivity and viscosity varied linearly with temperature in all investigated mixtures. Obtained content dependence of electrical conductivity (isotherms) was divided into two parts. First, one represented the content region up to 10% (mole fraction) of SiO₂; second, the region was with a higher content of SiO₂ (from 10% up to 40%). While the conductivity considerably decreased with content of SiO₂ in the second part; it surprisingly rose in the low content range. A small addition of SiO₂ to the molten cryolite (up to 10%) could slightly increase viscosity, but had no influence on the slope of this dependence since it is responsible for a glassy-networks formation in the melt. Further addition of SiO₂ to the molten cryolite had a huge effect on the viscosity.