Primary creep of die-cast magnesium - rare earth based alloys

The creep response of die-cast Mg-2.5RE-0.6Zn (wt pct) alloys with different rare earth (RE) mixtures has been investigated at 177 °C. The Nd-rich alloy displayed significantly lower primary creep than its La-rich counterpart. Microstructural analyses revealed the formation of additional Nd-containing precipitates on dislocations in the Nd-rich alloy during creep. The degree of supersaturation of RE solutes in the α-Mg matrix after die casting is suggested to be the key factor in influencing primary creep