In order to improve the weak mechanical properties of cast Mg alloys, Mg- (at%) alloy powders were synthesized using gas atomization, a typical rapid solidification process. The powders consist of fine dendrite structures less than 3 in arm spacing. In order to fabricate a bulk form, the Mg powders were compacted using magnetic pulse compaction (MPC) under various processing parameters of pressure and temperature. The effects of the processing parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties were systematically investigated.

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 microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of plasma electrolytic coatings (PEO) coatings on Mg-4.3 wt%Zn-1.0 wt%Y and Mg-1.0 wt%Zn-2.0 wt%Y alloys prepared by gas atomization, followed by compaction at 320 for 10 min under the pressure of 700 MPa and sintering at 380 and 420 respectively for 24 h, were investigated, which was compared with the cast Mg-1.0 wt%Zn alloy. All coatings consisting of MgO and oxides showed porous and coarse surface features with some volcano top-like pores distributed disorderly and cracks between pores. In particular, the surface of coatings on Mg-1.0 wt%Zn-2.0 wt%Y alloy showed smaller area of pores and cracks compared to the Mg-4.3 wt%Zn-1.0 wt%Y and Mg-1.0 wt%Zn alloys. The cross section micro-hardness of coatings on the gas atomized Mg-Zn-Y alloys was higher than that on the cast Mg-1.0 wt%Zn alloy. Additionally, the coated Mg-1.0 wt%Zn-2.0 wt%Y alloy exhibited the best corrosion resistance in 3.5%NaCl solution. It could be concluded that the addition of Y has a beneficial effect on the formation of protective and hard coatings on Mg alloys by plasma electrolytic oxidation treatment.

This work is to report not only the effect of rapid solidification of alloys on the micro-structure, but also the extrusion behavior on the materials properties. The average grain size of the atomized powders was about . The alloy powders of , consisted of I-Phase (Icosahedral, ) as well as Cubic structured W-Phase (), which was finely distributed within matrix. The oxide layer formed along the Mg surface was about 48 nm in thickness. In order to study the consolidation behavior of Mg alloy powders, extrusion was carried out with the area reduction ratio of 10:1 to 20:1. As the ratio increased, fully deformed and homogeneous microstructure could be obtained, and the mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation were simultaneously increased.

Using Spark Plasma Sintering process (SPS), consolidation behavior of gas atomized alloys were investigated via examining the microstructure and evaluating the mechanical properties. In the atomized ahoy powders, fine particles were homogeneously distributed in the matrix. The phase distribution was maintained even after SPS at 723 K, although particles were newly precipitated by consolidating at 748 K. The density of the consolidated bulk Mg-Zn-Y alloy was . The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation were varied with the consolidation temperature.

Mg-4.3Zn-0.7Y (at%) alloy powders were prepared using an industrial scale gas atomizer, followed by warm extrusion. The powders were almost spherical in shape. The microstructure of atomized powders and those extruded bars was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscope (EDS) and X-ray Diffractometer (XRD). The grain size of the powders was coarsen as the initial powder size increased. After the extrusion, the grain size became fine due to the severe plastic deformation during the extrusion with the ratio of 10:1. Both the ultimate strength and elongation were enhanced with the decrease of initial particle size.

alloy powders were prepared using an industrial scale gas atomizer, followed by warm extrusion. The powders were almost spherical in shape. The microstructure of powders as atomized and bars as extruded was examined as a function of initial powder size distribution using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscope (EDS) and X-ray Diffractometer (XRD). The grain sizes were decreased with extruding as well as decreasing the initial powder sizes. Both the ultimate strength and elongation were enhanced as the initial powder sizes were decreased.

Fabrication of bulk alloy has been performed through the consolidation of rapidly solidified ribbons. The bulk alloy exhibited excellent mechanical properties, high tensile yield strength of 530 MPa, and large elongation of 3 %. Microstructure of the alloy was characterized by equiaxed fine grains that consist of -Mg, long period ordered (LPO) structure phase, and -type cubic compound. The strengthening of the alloys may be due to fine grains with LPO structure phase and -type compound.

Compositional dependence of corrosion behavior of rapidly solidified Mg-rich Mg-Zn-Y alloys in NaCl aqueous solution has been investigated. Mg-Zn-Y ternary alloys containing small amounts of Zn exhibited low corrosion rate, although the (at. %) binary alloy showed severe corrosion with violet evolution of hydrogen. The alloy with highest corrosion-resistance was , its corrosion rate was about 1 mm year-1 in 0.17 M (1.0 wt. %) NaCl solution. alloy exhibited passive region in anodic polarization curves when immersed in NaCl solution. Rapidly solidification and small amount of Zn addition may bring about an increase in electrochemical homogeneity of Mg-Zn-Y alloys, resulting in enhancement of corrosion resistance.

The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy prepared by spark plasma sintering of gas atomized powders have been investigated. After consolidation, precipitates were observed to form in the solid solution matrix of the alloy. These precipitates consisted of and phases. The density of the consolidated bulk Mg-Zn-Y alloy was . The ultimate tensile strength and elongation were dependent on the consolidation temperature, which were in the ranges of 280 to 293 MPa and 8.5 to 20.8 %, respectively.