Exploring the Correlation between Solvent Diffusion and Creep Resistance of Mg-Ga HCP Alloys from High Throughput Liquid-Solid Diffusion Couple

TL;DR

This study uses a high throughput liquid-solid diffusion couple technique to investigate how solvent diffusion influences creep resistance in Mg-Ga alloys, revealing that solvent diffusion variation governs high-temperature creep behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a novel diffusion couple method supported by phenomenological analysis and nano-indentation to explore diffusion and creep in Mg-Ga alloys, highlighting the role of solvent diffusion.

Findings

Creep resistance increases with Ga content in Mg-Ga alloys.

Solvent diffusion variation, not solute diffusion, governs creep properties.

Mg-Ga alloys outperform Mg-Al alloys in creep resistance.

Abstract

The liquid-solid diffusion couple technique, supported by phenomenological analysis and nano-indentation tests, is proposed on account of the relatively low melting points of Mg to explore the diffusion mobility and creep deformation. The potential of this strategy is demonstrated in Mg-Ga hcp alloys where Ga solute (i.e. impurity) and Mg solvent diffusions in hcp Mg-Ga alloys were both unveiled. It was followed by mapping the compressive creep behavior via nanoindentation along the composition arrays within the same Mg-Ga couple sample. The compressive creep resistance of Mg-Ga hcp alloys increased with the Ga content, and this enhancement was similar to the one found in Mg-Zn alloys and superior to the one reported in Mg-Al alloys though Al is a slower impurity diffuser in hcp-Mg than Zn and Ga. Thereby, the solvent diffusion and its variation with the composition, rather than the solute diffusion, was suggested to govern the creep properties at high temperatures and low stresses.