Precipitation of the ordered icosahedral quasicrystal in Mg-6wt%Zn-1wt%Y alloy has been characterized bytransmission electron microscopy observations. The lamellar-type icosahedral qusicrystal phases (I-phase) with the face-centeredicosahedral (FCI) structure are observed in alloy after solution treatment at 550oC. In the alloy annealed at 400oC, polygon-shaped I-phases are observed in the α-Mg matrix. The interfaces of the I-phase with the matrix are facetted and the facets areon five-fold and two- fold plane of the I-phase. The orientation relationship of the I-phase with the matrix is determined tobe [I5]I//[001]Mg, (2f)I//()Mg and [I2]I//[311]Mg, (5f)I//()Mg. The icosahedral grains are occasionally found to be twinnedwith one of the five-fold axis as the twin axis. The twin boundaries appear to be fairly straight and perpendicular to the five-fold twin axis. The icosahedral twin can be expressed as a rotation of 63.4o or 116.6o around two fold zone axis.

The long-period stacking order (LPSO) structures and stacking faults (SFs) in rapidly solidified powder metallurgy (RS P/M) Mg97Zn1Y2 alloy were investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations. The 18R-type LPSO structure with a stacking sequence of ACBCBCBACACACBABAB and a period of 4.86 nm was observed in the as-extruded RS P/M Mg97Zn1Y2 alloy. After annealing at 773 K for 5 hr, the 18R-type LPSO structure was transformed to the 14H-type LPSO structure with a stacking sequence of ABABABACBCBCBC and a period of 3.64 nm. The 24R-type LPSO structure containing 24 atomic layers of ABABABABCACACACABCBCBCBC with period of 6.18 nm coexists with the 14H-type LPSO structure in the same grains. The LPSO structures contain intrinsic Type II SFs such as BCB/CABA and ABA/CBCB stacking sequences of a closely packed plane.

The precipitation behavior in Mg-6 wt%Zn-1 wt%Y alloy annealed at different temperatures of 200˚C and 400˚C has been characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscope. When the alloy is annealed at 200˚C for 6 hr, the plate- and the rod-shaped β2' phases are precipitated in the matrix. The orientation relationship of plate-shaped precipitates with the matrix exhibits a [11ar20]β2 || [10ar10]Mg, (0001)β2' || (0001)Mg. While the rod-shaped precipitates have two kinds of the orientation relationships with the matrix, i.e. [11ar20]β2'||[0001] Mg, (0001)β2'||(11ar20) Mg and [11ar20]β2'||[0001] Mg, (ar1106)β2'||(10ar10) Mg. With increasing annealing time at 200˚C the β1' phases are also precipitated in the matrix and the orientation relationship exhibits a [010]β1' || [0001]Mg, (603)β1' || (01ar10)Mg between the β1' precipitate and the matrix. The icosahedral phases are precipitated in the alloy annealed at 400˚C and exhibit a [I2]I || [0001]Mg relationship with the matrix.

In this study the changes of the hardness and microstructures during aging at 120 of an RS-P/M Al-5.6wt%Zn-2.0wt%Mg-1.3wt%Zr-1.0wt%Mn-0.25wt%Cu alloy were studied using a transmission electron microscopy. The hardness increased rapidly at early stage of aging and reached the maximun when the specimen was aged for 24 hr. The many irregular-shaped and rod-shaped dispersoids with 0.1-0.4 m in length were observed in the as-extruded alloy. The dark particles with 2-3 nm in size were observed in aged specimen for 5hr and those are thought to be G.P.zones or precursor of precipitates. In aged specimen for 24 hr, the phases were distributed homogeneously within the matrix and the PFZ with 30-40 nm in width was observed along the grain boundary. With further aging, the width of PFZ increased and phases were also detected within the matrix.