LAUSR

Precipitation hardening is one of most effective ways to strengthen magnesium alloys [1]. Conventional static aging in Mg-Al alloys produces precipitates which are dominated by high aspect-ratio plates or laths that inhabit the basal planes of α-Mg crystals. These precipitates are believed to be ineffective at blocking basal slips during deformation, and thus result in little strengthening [1]. The highly anisotropic precipitate morphology is closely pertinent to the distinctive interface energies of various atomic planes in the hexagonal-close-packed structure, which govern the nucleation and growth of precipitates under static conditions.