A high-strength extruded Mg–Gd–Zn–Zr alloy with superplasticity

This article presents an extruded Mg–Gd–Zn–Zr alloy produced by conventional ingot metallurgy, exhibiting high-strength and excellent ductility at room and elevated temperatures. The superplastic behavior was observed in the Mg–Gd–Zn (–Zr) alloy at elevated temperatures above 573 K. In the alloy, both the X phase in grain boundaries and the lamellae within matrix have the 14H-type long-period, stacking-ordered structure. It indicates that the X phase and the lamellae within matrix play important roles in the excellent mechanical properties.