Stabilisation of disordered bcc phases in magnesium-rare earth alloys

Abstract

In magnesium-based alloy systems, a stable disordered bcc phase is known to exist only in the Mg–Li-based system. However, it is known that Mg is an intense stabiliser of high temperature beta-rare earth phases (also disordered bcc) that often have a high solubility of Mg which can be sustained via quenching. This work focuses on stabilising Mg-rich beta-rare earth phases through targeted alloying additions of specific rare earth elements to generate more stable beta and alpha + beta Mg-based alloys. The mechanical properties present a large variation across small changes to the composition allowing for targeting desired properties for specific light-weight applications.