Synthesis of Mg-based alloys with rare-earth element addition by means of mechanical alloying

Magnesium-based alloys are widely used in the construction, automotive, aviation and medical industries. There are many parameters that can be modified during their synthesis in order to obtain an alloy with the desired microstructure and advantageous properties. Modifications to the chemical composition and parameters of the synthesis process are of key importance. In this work, an Mg-based alloy with a rare-earth element addition was synthesized by means of mechanical alloying (MA). The aim of this work was to study the effect of milling times on the Mg-based alloy with a rare-earth addition on its structure and microhardness. A powder mixture of pure elements was milled in a SPEX 8000D high energy shaker ball mill under an argon atmosphere using a stainless steel container and balls. The sample was mechanically alloyed at the following milling times: 3, 5, 8 and 13 h, with 0.5 h interruptions. The microstructure and hardness of samples were investigated. The Mg-based powder alloy was examined by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and using a Vickers microhardness test. The results showed that microhardness of the sample milled for 13 h was higher than that of those with milling time of 3, 5 and 8 h.