Anisotropic Plastic Behavior in an Extruded Long-Period Ordered Structure Mg90Y6.5Ni3.5 (at.%) Alloy

Abstract

The Mg₉₀Y_6.5Ni_3.5 alloy composed almost completely of the Long-Period-Stacking-Ordered (LPSO) phase has been prepared by casting and extrusion at high temperature. An elongated microstructure is obtained where the LPSO phase with 18R crystal structure is oriented with its basal plane parallel to the extrusion direction. Islands of α-magnesium are located between the LPSO grains. The mechanical properties of the alloy are highly anisotropic and depend on the stress sign as well as the relative orientation between the stress and the extrusion axes. The alloy is stronger when it is compressed along the extrusion direction. Under this configuration, the slip of <a> dislocations in the basal plane is highly limited. However, the activation of kinking induces an increase in the plastic deformation. In the transversal extrusion direction, some grains deform by the activation of basal slip. The difference in the yield stress between the different stress configurations decreases with the increase in the test temperature. The evolution of internal strains obtained during in-situ compressive experiments reveals that tensile twinning is not activated in the LPSO phase.