Effect of yttrium on morphologies of precipitation phases along grain boundaries of As-cast ZK60 magnesium alloy

Morphologies of precipitation phases along grain boundaries of the as-cast Mg-6.0Zn-0.45Zr, Mg-6.0Zn-1.2Y and Mg-6.0Zn-0.6Zr-1.0Y alloys were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the main precipitation phase along grain boundary of the as-cast Mg-6.0Zn-0.45Zr was a Mg-Zn binary compound. There were two kinds of precipitation phases along grain boundaries for Mg-6.0Zn-1.2Y and Mg-6.0Zn-0.6Zr-1.0Y alloys. One grew at triangular grain boundary, which was fish-bone -like in shape and a Mg-Zn binary compound. The other distributed mainly around the grain, which was net-like in shape and a Mg-Zn-Y ternary compound. In addition, there were lots of granular phases, extending to the interior of the grain, at the rim of gram boundary phases. Y was found to affect obviously morphology of precipitation phases along grain boundary of the as-cast Mg-Zn-Zr (ZK60) alloys.