Single and double aging treatments on Mg97Zn1Y2 alloy

The development of magnesium alloys was limited due to the low absolute strength and poor corrosion resistance. It was found that the optimal performance could not be achieved in some alloys by a single quenching and aging treatment, but could be achieved after a graded aging or multiple-stage aging heat treatment. The Mg97Zn1Y2 alloy was prepared and subjected to single and double aging treatments. Single aging was carried out at 250 oC for 6 to 15 h. For double aging, the first step was performed the same as the single aging. The second step was performed at 350 oC for 12 h. The microstructure and properties of the alloy with single and double aging were analyzed by means of hardness measurement, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and polarization curve measurements. Results show that the precipitated nanoscale phases are formed during aging, and evenly distributed in the matrix. Compared with the single aging treatment, the hardness and corrosion resistance of the alloy are further improved due to the double aging treatment.