Abstract
Nanocrystalline (NC) Mg alloys are of interest due to their high specific strength, but most show a marked ductility decrease with grain refinement. In order to explore the mechanical response of Mg with grain refinement to the nanoscale, pure Mg powder with an average grain size of 67 nm was synthesized via a cryomilling (mechanical milling under cryogenic temperature) in liquid argon for 8 hours, and subsequently consolidated using spark plasma sintering (SPS) and extrusion. The microstructure evolution after each processing step was characterized with XRD, SEM and TEM/HRTEM. The mechanical properties and micro-hardness of consolidated bulk NC pure Mg were evaluated at room temperature. The influence of materials processing on microstructure evolution and resultant mechanical response are discussed in an effort to provide insight into understanding of fundamental deformation phenomena in NC pure Mg.