Novel magnesium alloy containing Y, Gd and Ca with enhanced ignition temperature and mechanical properties for aviation applications

Highlights: • Novel Mg-4.5Gd-3.4Y-2.6Ca alloy was prepared by extrusion at 350 °C and 400 °C. • The ignition temperature of Mg-4.5Gd-3.4Y-2.6Ca attains 1100 °C. • An elongation of 10% surpasses other Mg alloys with high ignition resistance. • Mg-4.5Gd-3.4Y-2.6Ca is a promising material for the application in aircraft industry. -- Abstract: Novel Mg-4.5Gd-3.4Y-2.6Ca (wt%) alloy is designed as a light-weight material for manufacturing aircraft parts. The alloy is characterized by good mechanical properties and exceptionally high ignition temperature, which is a critical safety measure. The material was prepared by casting and subsequently processed by extrusion at temperatures of 350 °C and 400 °C. The effect of extrusion on the microstructure, mechanical properties and ignition temperature is studied. The obtained results indicated a substantial effect of the extrusion temperature on the average grain size, the recrystallized fraction and texture formation. Microstructure condition directly affected the tensile and compressive behaviour with an observed average tensile yield strength of 302 MPa and 272 MPa for materials extruded at 350 °C and 400 °C, respectively. Both conditions featured a high ignition temperature of ≈ 1100 °C, which was attributed to the synergic effect of Y, Gd and Ca oxides, with the dominant effect of Y₂O₃. The achieved combination of enhanced mechanical properties and the ignition temperature makes this novel alloy a prominent candidate for aircraft applications.