New magnesium‐tin‐calcium alloys offer the potential to improve the property profile and to extend the range of applications for magnesium alloys. Alloy development is undertaken in accordance to the formation of intermetallic phases during casting or during subsequent heat treatment. These intermetallic phases may contribute to room temperature strength as well as to the improvement of creep properties. Therefore the behaviour and the structure of these phases needs to be understood in more detail when using these materials in the as‐cast condition or after subsequent heat treatment.

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The development of new Mg-Sn based alloys that have shown improved corrosion resistance needs further investigations to develop standard alloys for industrial use. In the present study, the influence of heat treatment was investigated by examining the creep resistance of Mg-Sn and Mg-Sn-Ca alloys at 85 MPa under 135 °C identify the best conditions to improve the mechanical properties of such alloys. Additionally, the changes in microstructure of these alloys were studied and analysed by light microscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the heat treatments can affect the microstructure of the binary alloy while no apparent change in the microstructure was found in the Mg-Sn-Ca alloys, indicating that the second phase CaMgSn is thermal stable in this alloy. Based on the obtained results, the relationship between the microstructure and creep behaviour are discussed.