• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2018

This study examined the effect of the CaMgSn ternary phase on the aging response of the Mg-Sn-Zn alloy. The results revealed that the CaMgSn ternary phase formed in rod-like or needle-like shapes in Mg-3Zn-0.3Ca-xSn (x=1.5, 3, and 5 wt%) alloys and its size decreased as the Sn content increased from 1.5 wt% to 5 wt%. The Mg-3Zn-0.3Ca-5Sn alloy with a relatively fine CaMgSn phase was subjected to solution heat treatment and an aging process. Both the Mg-5Sn-3Zn-0.3Ca and Mg-5Sn-3Zn (base alloy) alloys had similar peak hardness values throughout all aging temperatures but the time-to-peak hardness in the Mg-5Sn-3Zn-0.3Ca alloy was 24-36 hours-earlier than that in the base alloy. Precipitates in the Mg-5Sn-3Zn-0.3Ca alloy were more refined than those in the Mg-5Sn-3Zn alloy and were mostly formed on basal planes. The $Mg_2Sn$ phase formed in either plate-like or rod-like shapes in the Mg-5Sn-3Zn alloy, whereas block-shaped $Mg_2Sn$ particles also formed in the Mg-5Sn-3Zn-0.3Ca alloy.