Investigation on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir processed rare earth magnesium alloy

Rare earth Magnesium alloys are now becoming the choice of manufacturers worldwide for transportation and medical industries. Earlier, the applications of magnesium alloys were limited due to their anisotropic behavior, leading to poor mechanical properties. This study focuses on obtaining the desired microstructure to get improved mechanical properties. The processed samples were characterized by using optical microscopy, FESEM, and universal testing machine. Different microstructural zones were observed in the processed region and the microstructures of these zones are correlated with that of base material (average grain size for BM: 51.39 µm). Grain refinement was observed in the stir zone (average grain size = 2.26 µm) of the processed sample as compared to BM due to dynamic recrystallization. The ultimate tensile strength and ductility of processed WE43 alloy (UTS:188 MPa, elongation: 31.5%) significantly improved due to microstructure modification by friction stir processing.