The Influence of Individual Rare Earth Elements (La, Ce, or Nd) on Creep Resistance of Die-Cast Magnesium Alloy AE44

Three AE44 (Mg-4Al-4RE, wt%) alloys are prepared from individual RE elements, i.e., La, Ce, or Nd, by high-pressure die casting and the creep resistance of these alloys is evaluated. It is shown that the choice of RE elements has a significant influence on the creep resistance of AE44, with the La-containing alloy being the most creep-resistant while the Nd-containing alloy the least creep-resistant. Microstructural examinations suggest that the observed difference in creep resistance cannot be accounted for by the thermal stability of the Al11RE3 phase, as reported previously, but can be related to the volume fraction of intermetallic phases and the content of manganese.