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Three-Dimensional Phase-Field Simulation and Experimental Validation of β-Mg17Al12 Phase Precipitation in Mg-Al-Based Alloys

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Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) phase-field model has been developed to simulate the formation of lath-shaped β-Mg17Al12 phase during hcp→bcc transformation in Mg-Al-based alloys. The model considers the synergistic effects of the elastic strain energy associated with the lattice rearrangements that accompany the phase transformation, and the interface anisotropy (both in interfacial energy and interface mobility coefficient). By using the proposed model, the essential features of 3D morphology of the β phase precipitate have been successfully predicted and experimentally validated using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of anisotropic elastic interaction field around a pre-existing β precipitate has been quantitatively determined using 3D phase-field simulation, and the effects of the anisotropic elastic interaction energy on subsequent nucleation of β phase near a pre-existing precipitate have been revealed. The results suggest that the anisotropic elastic interaction energy can promote the formation of new nucleus near the lozenge ends of the pre-existing precipitate, as explicitly substantiated by the experimental observations. The influence of different combinations of interface anisotropy and elastic strain energy on the thickness of β phase precipitate has been elucidated. The correlation between microstructural design during precipitation and the alloy-strengthening mechanisms has also been discussed in terms of dislocation motion. Based on these results, possible strategies for strengthening Mg-Al-based alloys are proposed for magnesium alloy development and microstructural design.

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Acknowledgments

This study is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51175291), Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program (Grant No. 2011Z02160), and the State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The support of General Motors Global Research and Development Center (GM R&D) and the State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University under the contract 2013XC-A-01 are gratefully acknowledged. The authors would also like to gratefully appreciate Dr. Anil Sachdev of GM R&D for his encouragements and technical discussions, and Prof. Yunzhi Wang of The Ohio State University for his critical review and constructive comments on this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P.R. China

    Guomin Han (Ph.D. Candidate), Zhiqiang Han (Associate Professor) & Baicheng Liu (Professor)

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Department of Integrated Systems Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Alan A. Luo (Professor)

  3. State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Department of Automotive Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P.R. China

    Baicheng Liu (Professor)

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  1. Guomin Han
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Correspondence to Zhiqiang Han.

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Manuscript submitted July 16, 2014.

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Han, G., Han, Z., Luo, A.A. et al. Three-Dimensional Phase-Field Simulation and Experimental Validation of β-Mg17Al12 Phase Precipitation in Mg-Al-Based Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 46, 948–962 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-014-2674-6

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