Experimental study on friction stir modification of LA103Z Mg-Li alloy

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a method to produce severe plastic deformation (SPD) of materials, which can well improve and optimize the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Li alloy. In this paper, the FSP experiment of LA103Z Mg-Li alloy was conducted, and the influence of process parameters on the microstructure, tensile strength, elongation after fracture and fracture morphology of the material was studied. The microstructure of the Mg-Li alloy after FSP was significantly refined. With the increasing rotational speed of the stirring head, the grain boundaries became clearer and more distinguishable, and the low angle grain boundaries transformed into the high angle grain boundaries. With the increasing feed speed of the stirring head, the grain refinement became more pronounced, and the dispersion of α-Mg phase in the stir zone became more uniform and distributed at the grain boundaries. When the rotational speed and the feed speed of the stirring head were 800-1000 r/min and 100-200 mm/min respectively, the comprehensive performance of the Mg-Li alloy plate after FSP was expected to be optimal.