Magnesium-rare earth based alloys are increasingly being investigated due to the formation of highly stable strengthening phases, activation of additional deformation modes and improvement in mechanical properties. Several investigations have been done to study the effect of rare earths when they are alloyed to pure magnesium and other Mg alloys. In this review, the mechanical properties of the previously investigated different magnesium-rare earth based binary alloys, ternary alloys and other higher alloys with more than three alloying elements are presented.

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In this study, magnesium composites with nano-size boron nitride (BN) particulates of varying contents were synthesized using the powder metallurgy (PM) technique incorporating microwave-assisted two-directional sintering followed by hot extrusion. The effect of nano-BN addition on the microstructural and the mechanical behavior of the developed Mg/BN composites were studied in comparison with pure Mg using the structure-property correlation. Microstructural characterization revealed uniform distribution of nano-BN particulates and marginal grain refinement. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value of the magnesium matrix was improved with the addition of nano-sized BN particulates. The results of XRD studies indicate basal texture weakening with an increase in nano-BN addition. The composites showed improved mechanical properties measured under micro-indentation, tension and compression loading. While the tensile yield strength improvement was marginal, a significant increase in compressive yield strength was observed. This resulted in the reduction of tension-compression yield asymmetry and can be attributed to the weakening of the strong basal texture.

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Significantly light weight magnesium composite foams are synthesised by addition of fly ash cenosphere particles (waste from coal-fired power plants) in biocompatible pure magnesium using solidification-based disintegrated melt deposition technique. The density of the composite foams synthesised in this study approaches that of plastics- and polymer-based composites. Microstructure development of Mg/cenosphere composite foams was favourable as they exhibited better dimensional stability (reduced coefficient of thermal expansion) and remarkable improvements in tensile strengths, compressive strengths, compressive total strain and microhardness. The present study highlights the processing, microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg/cenosphere composite foams which hold great potential as light weight metal-based green materials for diverse weight critical applications spanning from engineering to biomedical sector.