EUROPEAN CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND PROCESSES - EUROMAT 2021

Mg-Al-Ca alloys are well-known for their excellent creep resistance at elevated temperatures. This is due to the intermetallic network of Mg-Al-Ca Laves phases that strengthens the alloy. In this work, we have looked at deformation of the individual phases (intermetallics and α-Mg), their co-deformation at interfaces and the overall deformation of the composite using nano- and micromechanical testing as well as electron microscopy from (HR)TEM to panoramic SEM. These experiments reveal that the intermetallic skeleton does deform plastically to a certain extent and that the interfaces change the level of thermal activation in the plastically deforming composite microstructure. By combining these experimental insights, including the identified active slip systems of the Laves phase(s) and their critical stresses, with atomistic simulations, we can begin to understand not only the individual deformation mechanism of intermetallic and matrix, but also the mechanisms by which their co-deformation is achieved.