Scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography analysis of non-stoichiometry long-period-stacking-ordered structures in Mg-Ni-Y/Sm alloys

The long-period-stacking-ordered (LPSO) structure affects the mechanical, corrosion and hydrolysis properties of Mg alloys. The current work employs high angle annular dark field - scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and atom probe tomography (APT) to investigate the structural and local chemical information of LPSO phases formed in Mg-Ni-Y/Sm ternary alloys after extended isothermal annealing. Depending on the alloying elements and their concentrations, Mg-Ni-Y/Sm develops a two-phase LPSO + α-Mg structure in which the LPSO phase contains defects, hybrid LPSO structure, and Mg insertions. HAADF-STEM and APT indicate non-stoichiometric LPSO with incomplete Ni6(Y/Sm)8 clusters. In addition, the APT quantitatively determines the local composition of LPSO and confirms the presence of Ni within the Mg bonding layers. These results provide insight into a better understanding of the structure and hydrolysis properties of LPSO-Mg alloys.