Stimulating β-Series Precipitation in Mg–Nd Alloys Via Microalloying: A Comparison of Electron Microscopy and Small-Angle Scattering Techniques

Janet M. Meier; Jiashi Miao; Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt; Jan Ilavsky; Alan A. Luo

doi:10.1007/s11661-024-07660-w

Stimulating β-Series Precipitation in Mg–Nd Alloys Via Microalloying: A Comparison of Electron Microscopy and Small-Angle Scattering Techniques

Janet M. Meier
, Jiashi Miao
, Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt
, Jan Ilavsky
, Alan A. Luo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The Mg–Nd alloy system is of particular interest in the development of high-strength, lightweight structural alloys due to the formation of strengthening metastable Mg–Nd β-series precipitates during heat treatment. The strengthening is primarily provided by a combination of the β‴ and β₁ precipitation. It is therefore important to understand how the precipitation behavior can be enhanced by other common alloying elements. In this work, the effects of 0.2 wt pct Zn and Ca on β-series precipitation were studied. Small-angle/ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/USAXS) techniques in combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) were used to study the evolution of precipitation microstructure. It is found that the Zn additions refine the precipitates, leading to an increase in hardness with aging at 200 °C. On the other hand, the Ca additions result in an acceleration in the formation of larger β₁ precipitates and chains which provides less strengthening. The β₁ chains are surrounded by precipitate-free zones (PFZs) that further contribute to the decreases in hardness observed in the over-aged condition. This paper demonstrated that SAXS/USAXS provides a powerful tool for an in situ study of the early stages of precipitation in the Mg–Nd-based alloys.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	914-927
Number of pages	14
Journal	Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science
Volume	56
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-024-07660-w
State	Published - Mar 2025

Funding

This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The electron microscopy work was carried out at The Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis (CEMAS) at The Ohio State University. A portion of this research used resources at the High Flux Isotope Reactor, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The beam time was allocated to General-Purpose Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Diffractometer (GP-SANS) CG-2 instrument on proposal number IPTS-26955. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Ken Littrell for his feedback on the initial IPTS-26955 proposal for beamtime on the GP-SANS CG-2 instrument.

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Meier, J. M., Miao, J., DeBeer-Schmitt, L., Ilavsky, J., & Luo, A. A. (2025). Stimulating β-Series Precipitation in Mg–Nd Alloys Via Microalloying: A Comparison of Electron Microscopy and Small-Angle Scattering Techniques. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, 56(3), 914-927. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-024-07660-w

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title = "Stimulating β-Series Precipitation in Mg–Nd Alloys Via Microalloying: A Comparison of Electron Microscopy and Small-Angle Scattering Techniques",

abstract = "The Mg–Nd alloy system is of particular interest in the development of high-strength, lightweight structural alloys due to the formation of strengthening metastable Mg–Nd β-series precipitates during heat treatment. The strengthening is primarily provided by a combination of the β‴ and β1 precipitation. It is therefore important to understand how the precipitation behavior can be enhanced by other common alloying elements. In this work, the effects of 0.2 wt pct Zn and Ca on β-series precipitation were studied. Small-angle/ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/USAXS) techniques in combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) were used to study the evolution of precipitation microstructure. It is found that the Zn additions refine the precipitates, leading to an increase in hardness with aging at 200 °C. On the other hand, the Ca additions result in an acceleration in the formation of larger β1 precipitates and chains which provides less strengthening. The β1 chains are surrounded by precipitate-free zones (PFZs) that further contribute to the decreases in hardness observed in the over-aged condition. This paper demonstrated that SAXS/USAXS provides a powerful tool for an in situ study of the early stages of precipitation in the Mg–Nd-based alloys.",

author = "Meier, \{Janet M.\} and Jiashi Miao and Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt and Jan Ilavsky and Luo, \{Alan A.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Minerals, Metals \& Materials Society and ASM International 2025.",

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doi = "10.1007/s11661-024-07660-w",

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Meier, JM, Miao, J, DeBeer-Schmitt, L, Ilavsky, J & Luo, AA 2025, 'Stimulating β-Series Precipitation in Mg–Nd Alloys Via Microalloying: A Comparison of Electron Microscopy and Small-Angle Scattering Techniques', Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 914-927. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-024-07660-w

Stimulating β-Series Precipitation in Mg–Nd Alloys Via Microalloying: A Comparison of Electron Microscopy and Small-Angle Scattering Techniques. / Meier, Janet M.; Miao, Jiashi; DeBeer-Schmitt, Lisa et al.
In: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, Vol. 56, No. 3, 03.2025, p. 914-927.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Stimulating β-Series Precipitation in Mg–Nd Alloys Via Microalloying

T2 - A Comparison of Electron Microscopy and Small-Angle Scattering Techniques

AU - Meier, Janet M.

AU - Miao, Jiashi

AU - DeBeer-Schmitt, Lisa

AU - Ilavsky, Jan

AU - Luo, Alan A.

PY - 2025/3

Y1 - 2025/3

N2 - The Mg–Nd alloy system is of particular interest in the development of high-strength, lightweight structural alloys due to the formation of strengthening metastable Mg–Nd β-series precipitates during heat treatment. The strengthening is primarily provided by a combination of the β‴ and β1 precipitation. It is therefore important to understand how the precipitation behavior can be enhanced by other common alloying elements. In this work, the effects of 0.2 wt pct Zn and Ca on β-series precipitation were studied. Small-angle/ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/USAXS) techniques in combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) were used to study the evolution of precipitation microstructure. It is found that the Zn additions refine the precipitates, leading to an increase in hardness with aging at 200 °C. On the other hand, the Ca additions result in an acceleration in the formation of larger β1 precipitates and chains which provides less strengthening. The β1 chains are surrounded by precipitate-free zones (PFZs) that further contribute to the decreases in hardness observed in the over-aged condition. This paper demonstrated that SAXS/USAXS provides a powerful tool for an in situ study of the early stages of precipitation in the Mg–Nd-based alloys.

AB - The Mg–Nd alloy system is of particular interest in the development of high-strength, lightweight structural alloys due to the formation of strengthening metastable Mg–Nd β-series precipitates during heat treatment. The strengthening is primarily provided by a combination of the β‴ and β1 precipitation. It is therefore important to understand how the precipitation behavior can be enhanced by other common alloying elements. In this work, the effects of 0.2 wt pct Zn and Ca on β-series precipitation were studied. Small-angle/ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/USAXS) techniques in combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) were used to study the evolution of precipitation microstructure. It is found that the Zn additions refine the precipitates, leading to an increase in hardness with aging at 200 °C. On the other hand, the Ca additions result in an acceleration in the formation of larger β1 precipitates and chains which provides less strengthening. The β1 chains are surrounded by precipitate-free zones (PFZs) that further contribute to the decreases in hardness observed in the over-aged condition. This paper demonstrated that SAXS/USAXS provides a powerful tool for an in situ study of the early stages of precipitation in the Mg–Nd-based alloys.

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M3 - Article

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SN - 1073-5623

VL - 56

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EP - 927

JO - Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science

JF - Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science

IS - 3

ER -

Stimulating β-Series Precipitation in Mg–Nd Alloys Via Microalloying: A Comparison of Electron Microscopy and Small-Angle Scattering Techniques

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