Effects of Tool Rotation Rates on Superplastic Deformation Behavior of Friction Stir Processed Mg-Zn-Y-Zr Alloy

Compared to conventional Mg-Al and Mg-Zn system magnesium alloys, the Mg-Zn-Y-Zr heat-resistant alloy exhibits high thermal stability due to the addition of Y earth element, which is an ideal candidate for producing high strain rate superplasticity (HSRS, strain rate >= 1 x 10(-2) s(-1)). Recently, the HSRS of Mg-Zn-Y-Zr alloy was achieved by friction stir processing (FSP), because the FSP resulted in the generation of fine and equiaxed recrystallized grains and fine and homogeneous second phase particles. However, the study on superplastic deformation mechanism of FSP Mg-Zn-Y-Zr alloy at various parameters is limited relatively. Therefore, at the present work, six millimeters thick as-extruded Mg-Zn-Y-Zr plates were subjected to FSP at relatively wide heat input range of rotation rates of 800 r/min to 1600 r/min with a constant traverse speed of 100 mm/min, obtaining FSP samples consisting of homogeneous, fine and equiaxed dynamically recrystallized grains and fine and uniform Mg-Zn-Y ternary phase (W-phase) particles. With increasing rotation rate, within the FSP samples the W-phase particles were broken up and dispersed significantly and the recrystallized grains were refined slightly, while the fraction ratio of the high angle grain boundaries (grain boundaries misorientation angle >= 15 degrees) was increased obviously. Increasing rotation rate resulted in an increase in both optimum strain rate and superplastic elongation. For the FSP sample obtained at 1600 r/min, a maximum elongation of 1200% was achieved at a high-strain rate of 1x10(-2) s(-1) and 450 degrees C. Grain boundary sliding was identified to be the primary deformation mechanism in the FSP samples at various rotation rates by superplastic data analyses and surfacial morphology observations. Furthermore, the increase in rotation rate accelerated superplastic deformation kinetics remarkably. For the FSP sample at 1600 r/min, superplastic deformation kinetics is in good agreement with the prediction by the superplastic constitutive equation for fine-grained magnesium alloys governed by grain boundary sliding mechanism.