The Effect of Sn Addition on Zn-Al-Mg Alloy; Part I: Microstructure and Phase Composition

Peter Gogola; Zuzana Gabalcová; Martin Kusý; Henrich Suchánek

doi:10.3390/ma14185404

The Effect of Sn Addition on Zn-Al-Mg Alloy; Part I: Microstructure and Phase Composition

Materials (Basel). 2021 Sep 18;14(18):5404. doi: 10.3390/ma14185404.

Authors

Peter Gogola¹, Zuzana Gabalcová¹, Martin Kusý¹, Henrich Suchánek¹

Affiliation

¹ Institute of Materials Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ulica Jána Bottu 25, 917 24 Trnava, Slovakia.

Abstract

In this study, the addition of Sn on the microstructure of Zn 1.6 wt.% Al 1.6 wt.% Mg alloy was studied. Currently, the addition of Sn into Zn-Al-Mg based systems has not been investigated in detail. Both as-cast and annealed states were investigated. Phase transformation temperatures and phase composition was investigated via DSC, SEM and XRD techniques. The main phases identified in the studied alloys were η(Zn) and α(Al) solid solutions as well as Mg₂Zn₁₁, MgZn₂ and Mg₂Sn intermetallic phases. Addition of Sn enabled the formation of Mg₂Sn phase at the expense of Mg_xZn_y phases, while the overall volume content of intermetallic phases is decreasing. Annealing did not change the phase composition in a significant way, but higher Sn content allowed more effective spheroidization and agglomeration of individual phase particles.

Keywords: DSC; Sn-addition; XRD; Zn-based alloy; intermetallic phases; microstructure formation; phase composition.

Abstract

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