Microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast and extruded Mg–8Li–3Al–2Zn–0.5Nd alloy

Mg–8Li–3Al–2Zn–0.5Nd (wt%) alloy was prepared by casting and deformed by hot extrusion in this study. The microstructure of as-cast and extruded samples was analyzed with OM, XRD, SEM and EDS. The results show that, as-cast Mg–8Li–3Al–2Zn–0.5Nd alloy is composed of α-Mg, β-Li, AlLi, MgLi2Al and Al2Nd phases. The microstructure is refined after hot extrusion. Al2Nd phase is crushed and distributed uniformly along the extrusion direction. The mechanical properties of Mg–8Li–3Al–2Zn–0.5Nd alloy are also improved after hot extrusion. The improvement in mechanical properties is mainly attributed to the grain refinement and dispersion strengthening.