Effect of Zn Addition on the Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Extruded Mg-1Al-0.3Ca-0.3Mn Magnesium Alloys

Zn element was added into the as-extruded Mg-1Al-0.3Ca-0.3Mn (wt.%) alloys to improve the poor formability, and the effects of such an addition on the microstructures, textures, and mechanical properties of the alloys were investigated in this work. The results showed that, with the increase of Zn content from 0 to 0.6 %, the size of DRXed grains was first refined but then coarsened. The mechanical properties reached the peak with the addition of 0.2 wt.% Zn. The significant improvement of the mechanical properties could be mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of fining grain size strengthening, solid solution strengthening, and work hardening.