Micro-alloying Mg with Y, Ce, Gd and La for texture modification—A comparative study

A comparative study of the effectiveness of Y, La, Ce and Gd as texture modifiers during the extrusion of magnesium-based alloys has been carried out. It was found that La, Ce and Gd are all effective texture modifiers, being able to produce the “rare earth” texture at the low alloying levels of 300, 400 and 600 ppm respectively. Y was not as effective as the other three elements in modifying the texture, and at no concentration studied did this element form a typical “rare earth” texture. It is proposed that a strong interaction of solutes with dislocations and grain boundaries is responsible for the significant impact rare earth additions have on the extruded grain size and texture at very low alloying levels.