Strengthening of Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloy via multi-process deformation

doi:10.1016/j.metadv.2026.02.017

Abstract

Abstract:

This study examines an Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloy subjected to multi-step thermo-mechanical processing comprising hot extrusion, hot rolling, and room-temperature rolling. Extrusion at 300 °C triggers dynamic recrystallization of the α-Mg phase and leads to the formation of MgLi₂Al and AlLi precipitates within the β-Li matrix, while Al₂Ca and Al₂Y phases segregate along the extrusion direction. Subsequent rolling at 260 °C and room temperature further refines α-Mg grains, raises dislocation density, and homogenizes the dispersed Al₂Ca and Al₂Y particles. Texture analysis indicates that the α-Mg component reorients from the transverse direction toward the normal direction, driven by the competition between basal and prismatic slip, and exhibits enhanced texture strength. In contrast, the β-Li phase preserves stable α- and γ-fiber textures. The multi-step deformation process endows the alloy with a balanced combination of tensile strength (303 MPa), yield strength (273 MPa), and elongation (8.6%). These improvements are attributed to collective contributions from grain refinement, stress-induced phase transformation, and dislocation accumulation during plastic deformation. The established microstructure-property correlations provide a viable pathway for designing high-strength Mg alloys with tailored texture and phase distribution.

Key words: Mg-Li alloy, Multi-process deformation, Precipitation, Mechanical property

Jianyang Gao, Keqiang Su, Enyu Guo, Zongning Chen, Huijun Kang, Tongmin Wang. Strengthening of Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloy via multi-process deformation[J]. Metals Advances, 2026, 45: 92-100.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1. XRD patterns of (a) the Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloy under different processing conditions; (b) Enlarged view of the blue section in Fig. 1(a).

Fig. 2. SEM images and corresponding elemental distribution maps of the Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloy in different processing: (a) Cast; (b) Extrusion; (c) Extrusion-rolled.

Table 1. Results of the spectral analysis for each point depicted in Fig. 2 (at.%).

Points	Mg	Al	Ca	Y
A	26.6	43.4	13.2	16.8
B	69.2	19.1	11.7	-
C	70.2	29.5	0.2	0.1

Fig. 3. EBSD results of Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloys with different processes: (a, b) BC maps and distribution of grain boundaries; (c, d) IPF maps and average grain sizes; (e, f) Recrystallization grain distribution; (g, h) KAM maps.

Fig. 4. Pole figures of α-Mg phase of Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloys after (a, b) extrusion and (c, d) extrusion-rolling.

Fig. 5. ODF sections at ϕ2 = 45° of the Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloy after (a) extrusion and (b) extrusion-rolling.

Fig. 6. Texture intensity of β phase aligned in (a) α-fiber and (b) γ-fiber.

Fig. 7. TEM images of the α/β phase interface in the extrusion-rolling Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloy: (a) Bright field (BF) image; (b, c) SAED images in Fig. 7(a); (d) Enlarged image of the red square area in Fig. 7(a); (e) FFT images of the precipitates in Fig. 7(d); (f) HRTEM and FFT images of the blue region in Fig. 7(d); (g) HRTEM image of the brown box region in Fig. 7(d); (h) Corresponding IFFT image of red area in Fig. 7(g).

Fig. 8. Mechanical properties of Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloys in different processing conditions and comparison with other published data: (a) Engineering stress-strain curves; (b) Comparison of YS, UTS, and EL; (c) Comparison of mechanical properties of dual-phase Mg-Li alloys with different deformation processes.

Fig. 9. Tensile fracture morphology of Mg-8Li-5Al-0.5Ca-0.2Y alloys in different processing conditions: (a) Cast; (b) Extrusion; (c) Extrusion-rolling.

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