Tensile strength, ductility and fracture of magnesium-silicon alloys

Tensile tests were performed between 293-573 K in order to investigate the mechanical properties of cast and extruded Mg-Si alloys. For the cast materials, Mg-high Si (greater than or equal to 10 wt %) alloys showed lower values of the highest tensile strength at temperatures up to 373 K, as compared to pure Mg and Mg-low Si (<10 wt %) alloys, whereas the strength at 573 K increased with increasing Si content. The addition of aluminum and zinc to the alloys was effective in increasing the strength. The fact that the Mg-high Si alloys showed lower strength than the Mg-low Si alloys was because a high volume of Mg2Si embrittled the Mg-Si alloys. Microstructural investigations revealed that the particles of Mg2Si were coarse for the cast materials and fracture of the particles was caused by deformation. The mechanical properties of the cast materials were improved by hot extrusion. Microstructural refinement by hot extrusion was responsible for the improvement of the mechanical properties.