On the notch ductility of a magnesium-rare earth alloy

The room-temperature notch ductility of magnesium-rare earth alloy WE43 is investigated for two loading orientations. This material is endowed with quasi-isotropic plastic flow properties, higher strength and similar uniaxial ductility in comparison with other commercially available Mg alloys. The authors have recently shown that the notch ductility of a Mg-Al-Zn alloy is greater than its uniaxial ductility over a wide range of notch geometries. This paper investigates whether the same trends hold for WE43, discusses the orientation dependence of ductility and the propensity for intergranular fracture at high levels of hydrostatic tension. The latter mode of fracture is analyzed by means of detailed fractography in order to elucidate the role of grain-boundary particles and precipitates in the fracture process. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.