Effect of Room Temperature Multi-directional Forging on the Microstructure and Hardness of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr Magnesium Alloy

MA Hengtian; WANG Qiang; YANG Yongbiao; XUE Yong; DONG Beibei

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.03.002

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (3) : 17-27. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.03.002

Light Alloy Forming

Effect of Room Temperature Multi-directional Forging on the Microstructure and Hardness of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr Magnesium Alloy

MA Hengtian, WANG Qiang^*, YANG Yongbiao, XUE Yong, DONG Beibei

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Abstract

The work aims to clarify the effect of forging passes on the hardness and microstructure of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr magnesium alloy and reveal the underlying mechanisms of twin and dislocation evolution. The as-extruded Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy was firstly treated through homogenization, followed by multi-directional forging at room temperature with different numbers of deformation passes (each pass involved uniaxial compression with a deformation amount of 7.5%). The effect of different deformation passes on sample hardness was analyzed with a Vickers hardness tester. Optical microscopy (OM) and SU5000 scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to examine the microstructural evolution. Hardness analysis revealed that as the cumulative strain increased, the hardness of the sample reached up to 100HV, representing a 33% improvement compared to the undeformed sample. Microstructural observations indicated that $\{10 \overline{1} 2\} $ tensile twins were predominantly formed during deformation, and their interactions promoted grain fragmentation and refinement. The texture strength exhibited a non-monotonic trend, initially decreasing and then increasing. The density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) continuously increased, showing a positive correlation with the hardness evolution. Additionally, due to the activation of numerous slip systems during multi-directional forging, the fraction of low-angle grain boundaries significantly increased. Based on the characteristics of tensile twin evolution, three representative twin evolution models were proposed: contraction, expansion, merging and intersection of twin boundaries. This study demonstrates that room temperature multi-directional forging of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy can effectively utilize twinning behavior to regulate its microstructure and improve mechanical properties.

Key words

Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr magnesium alloy / room temperature / multi-directional forging / hardness / twin behavior / dislocation density

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MA Hengtian, WANG Qiang, YANG Yongbiao, XUE Yong, DONG Beibei. Effect of Room Temperature Multi-directional Forging on the Microstructure and Hardness of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr Magnesium Alloy[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2026, 18(3): 17-27 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.03.002

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