Mohamed Fouad El-sherbiny El-sayed
Asst. Lecturer
Effect of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on Aging Strength of Mg–Al–Ca–Mn Alloy
• 2025
Publication Information
Authors
Mohamed Fouad, Taiki Nakata, Chao Xu, Jing Zuo, Zelin Wu, Lin Geng
Keywords
Mg–Al–Ca–Mn alloy; solution treatment; deep cryogenic treatment; aging treatment; mechanical properties; microstructure characterization
Journal
Not Available
Publisher
Not Available
Volume
Not Available
Issue
Not Available
Pages
Not Available
publication.type
International
Paper Link
Not Available
Supplementary Materials
Not Available
Abstract
T6 aging, involving solution treatment and artificial aging, is a widely adopted strengthening method for magnesium alloys due to its proven effectiveness. However, the integration of three or more sequential thermal treatments has been explored only sparingly, primarily due to the challenges associated with optimizing such multi-parameter processing systems. This study demonstrates that integrating a 12 h deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) before aging in a Mg–Al–Ca–Mn alloy optimizes mechanical performance, achieving a tensile strength of 343 MPa and 27.3% elongation. Microstructural analysis, based on electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), reveals that the strength enhancement results from ~29 nm precipitate refinement, elevated dislocation density, and nanoscale sub-grain formation, while the ductility gains stem from the activation of non-basal slip systems and the suppression of microcrack propagation. These synergistic mechanisms enable superior strain accommodation, providing a clear framework for DCT-enabled sequential heat treatment design in high-performance magnesium alloys.
