Influence of lithium concentration on microstructure and nanomechanical characterization of plastically deformed lightweight Mg-Li-Zn-Ca alloys
Article
Okafor, C, Datye, A, Zhang, S et al. (2025). Influence of lithium concentration on microstructure and nanomechanical characterization of plastically deformed lightweight Mg-Li-Zn-Ca alloys
. 11 10.1016/j.jalmes.2025.100203
Okafor, C, Datye, A, Zhang, S et al. (2025). Influence of lithium concentration on microstructure and nanomechanical characterization of plastically deformed lightweight Mg-Li-Zn-Ca alloys
. 11 10.1016/j.jalmes.2025.100203
Plastic deformation of MgxLi1Zn0.5Ca (x = 0, 4, 8, 11) alloys after thermomechanical treatment were explored in this investigation. Nanomechanical testing and microstructural characterization were conducted on as-cast alloys as well as those rolled at room temperature and 200 °C. The grain size of the 0 wt% Li alloy decreased after cold and hot rolling, whereas that for alloys with 11 wt% Li content decreased after rolling at 200 °C. Additionally, reorientation of crystallographic planes occurred as evidenced by changes in peak intensity of prismatic, basal and pyramidal planes of x-ray diffractograms. The hardness and yield strength of both as-cast and rolled alloys increased after rolling, especially for alloys containing the α-Mg phase. Furthermore, the single β-phase had a strain rate sensitivity of 0.06 and an activation volume greater than 107 nm3. These results suggest that the dominant deformation mechanisms include basal slipping, twinning and cross slipping. The combined studies of deformation mechanism and thermomechanical processing offered a robust method to understand the Mg alloys' plastic behavior.
