Mechanical Property and Corrosion Resistance of Mg-Zn-Y Alloys Containing Icosahedral Phase

Mechanical and property corrosion resistance of Mg-Zn-Y alloys with an atomic ratio of Zn/Y of 6.8 are investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, uniaxial tensile test and corrosion test with immersion and dynamic potentiometric tests. The alloys showed an in-situ composite microstructure consisting of alpha-Mg and icosahedral phase (I-phase) as a strengthening phase. As the volume fraction of the I-phase increases, the yield and tensile strengths of the alloys increase while maintaining large elongation (26 similar to 30%), indicating that I-phase is effective for strengthening and forms a stable interface with surrounding alpha-Mg matrix. The presence of I-phase having higher corrosion potential than alpha-Mg, decreased the corrosion rate of the cast alloy up to I-phase volume fraction of 3.7%. However further increase in the volume fraction of the I-phase deteriorates the corrosion resistance due to enhanced internal galvanic corrosion cell between alpha-Mg and I-phase.