Effect of Zn contents on microstructure in AZ-series magnesium alloys

Magnesium alloys containing Al have been used for industrial materials due to their lightweight and recyclability. The Mg-Al alloys are usually used for the industrial production. The Mg-Al alloys are divided into AZ-series alloys with the addition of Zn, and AM-series alloys with the addition of Mn, respectively. The addition of Zn to the Mg-Al alloy system reduces the solid solubility of Al in Mg, increases the amount of precipitate phases after ageing and thus causes a moderate increase in strength. The Mg ₁₇Al ₁₂ phase (γ) is reported as the precipitate formed in the Mg-Al alloys during aging after the solution heat treatment, which is the discontinuous precipitate in the grain boundary and continuous precipitate in the matrix. However, there is few report about the effect of Zn contents on age-hardening behavior and microstructure of AZ-series alloys. The propose of this study is to investigate the difference of the age-hardening behavior and microstructures of AZ-series alloys using hardness test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation.