Deformation Behavior of β Phase in a WE54 Magnesium Alloy

Second phases play a significant role in the development of high-performance magnesium alloys with rare earth elements. Here, in situ tensile tests combined with synchrotron radiation were carried out to investigate the deformation behavior of beta phases in a WE (Mg-Y-Gd-Nd) alloy. By lattice strain analysis, it was found that micro load continuously transferred from the soft alpha-Mg matrix to the hard beta phases during the whole plastic deformation, while this behavior was much more obvious at the beginning of deformation. Based on diffraction peak broadening, Williamson-Hall (W-H) plotting was used to study the microstrain of beta phases. The results showed that the microstrain of beta phases increased rapidly within 4% plastic strain and reached the maximum at plastic strain of similar to 6.5%. Since the beta phases acted as hard phases, the microstrain was considered as a sign of the stress concentration near phase interfaces. It was also suggested that the effective release of local stress concentration at the beta/alpha-Mg interface benefited the ductility of the WE alloy by the plastic deformation of beta phases and phase interface sliding.