A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MgY2Zn Rod PRODUCED BY DIFFERENT ROUTES USING SEVERE PLASTIC DEFORMATION

Ternary Mg–Y–Zn alloys have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent mechanical properties and unique microstructures. Microstructural variation and the resulting mechanical properties can be affected by various processing routes, particularly those involving severe plastic deformation of a cast billet. The following approach was used in this work to perform a comparative study: Cast MgY2Zn billet was subjected to severe plastic deformation by three different routes, namely ECAP, high pressure torsion (HPT) and ECAP followed by HPT with the aim of refining the microstructure. The effect of the processing route and the process parameters on the microstructure and the hardness of the Mg-Y-Zn alloy will be reported. As it was shown, the LPSO phase mostly takes the load and deforms within a soft magnesium matrix, where substantial grain refinement occurs. Although tensile ductility remains an issue, the findings suggest that high hardness and, indirectly, high strength of Mg2Y-Zn rod can be achieved through severe plastic deformation. Future research will aim to optimize temperature regimes of SPD processing to enhance the strength-ductility balance.