Advanced Aluminum Alloys Containing Rare-earth Erbium

In our research, the effects of rare-earth element erbium (Er) on microstructures and mechanical properties of some aluminum alloys are investigated. It is shown that aluminum alloys with Er additions, including Al-Mg, Al-Zn-Mg, Al-Zn-Mg-Cu, 1420 Al-Li alloys and high purity aluminum, have refined grain size, superior thermal stability, and higher hardness or tensile strength with unchanged ductility. It is concluded that, in most aluminum alloys, Er is an effective alloying element