The microstructure of Mg–4Zn–2Al–0.5Ca aged alloy

Highlights: ► The microstructure of Mg–4Zn–2Al–0.5Ca aged alloy was investigated by TEM. ► Edge dislocations, ordered zones and moiré fringes are found in alloy. ► Ca can improve the thermal stability of precipitates. - Abstract: In this study, we investigated the microstructure of a new Mg–4Zn–2Al–0.5Ca aged alloy with TEM and HRTEM. The age hardening process of Mg–4Zn–2Al–0.5Ca alloy aged at 120 °C or 160 °C follows a similar pattern: a period of fluctuation of hardness present before the alloy reaches its maximum hardness. The atomic arrangement is different in different areas of the microstructure possibly due to the difference of the segregated degree of the solute atoms in the alloy. The microstructure of alloy aged at 120 °C for 230 h consists of cellular textures, ordered zone, elongated precipitates and disc-like precipitates, while the microstructure of the alloy aged at 160 °C for 32 h consists of edge dislocations, ordered zones and moiré fringe. No MgZn precipitates are found in the peak aged microstructures of alloys aged at 120 °C and 160 °C. It is reasonable to believe that Ca is a particularly effective trace addition in improving the thermal stability of precipitation in Mg–4Zn–2Al alloy aged at 120 °C and 160 °C.