Effect of powder sintering on microstructure and mechanical properties of magnesium‒scandium alloys

Magnesium‒scandium (Mg‒Sc) alloys were prepared by powder sintering at 500 ℃ for 2 h and extrusion at 300 ℃ under the inert atmosphere. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the Mg‒Sc alloys were investigated. The results show that, the phase composition of the Mg‒Sc alloys is mainly Mg phase, and no Mg‒Sc phase is detected. Due to the diffusion of Sc element in the Mg matrix during the sintering process, the interfacial combination is significantly improved, and the interface bonding between Mg and Sc particles is increased. The elongation of the sintered Mg‒Sc alloys with the Sc mass fraction of 1.0% is 10.37%, which is increased by 61%. In addition, a large number of dimples are observed at the tensile fracture, indicating that sintering can improve the toughness of the Mg‒Sc alloys.