Influence of Rare Earth Elements on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Mg-Li Alloys

A series of α-based Mg-Li-Al-Zn-xRE alloys were prepared. These alloys have low density ranging from 1.5 to 1.7 g· cm −3 and high strength properties. The influence of RE element on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of these alloys were studied. The results indicate that the addition of RE (La, Pr, Ce) leads to the formation of rodshaped intermetallic compound Al2Zn2La distributed in the matrix. Al2Zn2La induces reduction of the laminar spacing and causes refinement of the microstructure. Therefore, this compound improves the strength of alloys at a high temperature.