Microstructural Characterization of a Mg–9%Li–1%Zn Alloy

A Mg–9%Li–1%Zn alloy was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and microdiffractometry. The alloy had a dual phase structure with dispersed particles of ZnO and MgO oxides. The Wurtzite structure of ZnO exhibited a good orientation with respect to the Mg matrix, but the MgO did not. The peak aging at a temperature of 100°C occurred at 10 h. At 50°C, the hardness reached the maximum value after an aging period of around 100 h. The appearance of the extra bump adjacent to the main peak of (alpha)(002) after aging at 50°C/100 h and 100°C/10 h, was thought to correspond to a precipitate phase or spinodal decomposition.