The Effect of Yttrium Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Mg Alloys

Automotive and aerospace industries shall witness advancement to the next generation if magnesium (Mg) alloys become an integral part of their manufacturing unit primarily because of its light weight. The main limitation which hinders the progress in this direction is the inferior creep properties of Mg alloys. In order to transform this expectation into reality, rare earth (RE) elements are extensively used as alloying elements for improving the room temperature (RT) as well as high temperature (HT) properties. Yttrium (Y) is one of the most extensively used RE elements primarily because of its very high solubility in Mg. Many researchers have studied the influence of Y addition in Mg alloys because of its very high solubility in Mg. However, there is a need to consolidate the work that has been carried out so far which will help in interpolating the future prospects. This review consolidates the work that has been carried out so far in Y addition covering various aspects related to microstructural modifications and RT as well as HT mechanical properties.