Phase transformations in mechanically milled and annealed single-phase β-Al3Mg2

Abstract Mechanical deformation drastically affects both microstructure and thermal stability of polycrystalline β-Al 3 Mg 2 . Upon milling, the β-Al 3 Mg 2 phase transforms into a nanoscale supersaturated Al(Mg) solid solution with 40 at.% Mg. Upon heating, the milled powders display a complex thermal behavior characterized by four distinct exothermic events. At low temperatures, an increasing amount of Mg is rejected from the solid solution with increasing temperature. At higher temperatures, the β′-phase, a hexagonal phase with composition Al 3 Mg 2 , is formed and no traces of the solid solution can be detected, indicating that the solid solution is metastable and transforms into more stable phase(s). Finally, the subsequent exothermic events reveal the formation and growth of the β-Al 3 Mg 2 phase.