Bulk Mg-Cu-Y-Al Alloys in the Amorphous, Supercooled Liquid and Crystalline States

Abstract

AbstractBulk Mg-Cu-Y-Al alloys, prepared by casting into a wedge-shaped copper mold, have been studied in the as-prepared, the supercooled liquid, and the crystalline states. In the as-prepared state x-ray diffraction of sub-millimeter sized regions were performed using a focused x-ray beam. The phase composition of the cross section as well as of the surface of the wedge-shaped specimen was investigated as a function of position. The cooling history of the alloy was experimentally determined and compared to results of a control-volume finite-difference modelling study. The experimentally determined and the calculated cooling rates were correlated with the observed amorphous/crystalline structure. The transition from an amorphous to a crystalline state was followed by x-ray diffraction studies as a function of time at specific temperatures in the region between the glass transition and the crystallization temperature. Based on these results a temperature-time-phase diagram was constructed. The dependence of external pressure on the crystallisation temperature was investigated by in situ high-temperature and high- pressure x-ray powder diffraction by using synchrotron radiation. The investigations form the basis for a selection of the optimum temperature in the supercooled liquid region for performing deformation/shaping of the Mg-based alloys.