Understanding the enhanced ductility of Mg-Gd with Ca and Zn microalloying by slip trace analysis

This research studied the mechanisms of Ca and Zn microalloying on the enhancement of ductility of extruded Mg-Gd sheet by combing electron backscattered diffraction and slip trace analysis. The ductility and microstructure of extruded Mg-0.6Gd and Mg-0.6Gd-0.3Ca-0.2Zn (wt%) sheets were investigated. Basal slip was the main deformation mode under investigation. Ca and Zn microalloying increased the frequency of grain boundaries (GBs) with misorientation angles (θs)