Lightweight Mg alloys are desirable for
transportation and defense applications owing to their high specific strength
and energy‑absorption capacity under impact loading. Among these, Mg–Zn–Y
alloys containing long-period stacking-ordered (LPSO) phases exhibit exceptional comprehensive
mechanical properties; however,
their deformation behavior and underlying micromechanisms under
high-speed shear remain poorly
understood. Therefore, this study performs a comparative analysis of
the microstructural evolution and dynamic mechanical behavior of as-cast and
extruded Mg–Zn–Y–0.3Sn (mass fraction, %) alloys containing LPSO phases using a
split Hopkinson pressure bar at strain rates ranging from
800 s−1 to 1800
s−1. The aim is to elucidate the strength response, identify
the dominant deformation mechanisms, and clarify how microstructural evolution, including features characteristic of LPSO-containing
Mg–Zn–Y alloys,
couples with the high-strain-rate shear response. The results show that as the strain
rate increases from 800
s−1 to 1800 s−1, the ultimate compressive strength of the
extruded Mg–4Zn–12Y alloy increases from 279.16 MPa to 354.78 MPa, showcasing an
enhancement of approximately 27.1%. Similarly, increasing the strain
rate from 800 s−1 to 1600 s−1 raises the ultimate
compressive strength of the extruded Mg–4Zn–12Y–0.3Sn alloy from 342 MPa to 433
MPa, corresponding to an
improvement of approximately 26.6%. The Sn addition enhances the alloy’s strength and work-hardening capacity. The {1012} tensile twinning primarily serves to coordinate plastic
strain, whereas
kinking the LPSO phase plays a critical role in coordinating the
deformation. High densities of geometrically necessary dislocations accumulate
at grain-boundary triple
junctions, producing considerable
local lattice distortion and providing favorable conditions
for twin nucleation. Furthermore,
dynamic recrystallization occurs around the LPSO phase, driven primarily by the
particle-stimulated nucleation
mechanism and the complex morphology of the LPSO phase/matrix interface. These findings provide
crucial insights into the deformation micromechanisms
of LPSO-containing Mg alloys under
high-strain-rate conditions.