Effect of Co-addition of Sn, Traces of RE and Ca on the Mechanical and Micro Structural Properties of As-cast AZ80 Alloy

In this study, the effect of co-addition of tin (0, 6 and 9 wt.%), cerium (0, 0.3 and 0.6 wt.%), gadolinium (0, 0.6 and 0.9 wt.%) and calcium (0, 0.6 and 0.9 wt.%) on the mechanical and microstructural properties of AZ80 magnesium alloy is investigated. The results indicate that the mechanical properties are improved for all the as-cast alloys when compared to base alloy except for one alloy which is due to the presence of Mg-Sn-Ca phase in high volume fraction. Also, it is found that the existence of Al2Ca, Mg2Ca, Al2RE, MgSnRE and Mg2Sn phases have a significant impact on the mechanical and microstructural characteristics of the as-cast AZ80 alloys. It is observed that without the addition of Sn content, the best room temperature tensile properties are obtained for the alloy containing 1.5 wt.% of RE and 0.9 wt.% of Ca. With the addition of Sn, it is found that the best room temperature tensile properties are obtained for the alloy containing 6 wt.% of Sn, 0.9 wt.% of RE and 0.5 wt.% of Ca.