Microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg 2 Sn-nanophase reinforced Mg–Mg 2 Sn composite

A kind of new Mg–Mg 2 Sn composite was developed successfully. The Mg 2 Sn reinforcement was synthesized effectively by milling micro-sized Mg and nano-sized Sn powders. The effect of milling on formation of Mg 2 Sn phase from elements powders was investigated. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the composite were presented. The results showed that, high surface activation of raw nano-sized Sn powder would be greatly beneficial to accelerate transformation efficiency of Mg 2 Sn nanophase from Mg–Sn mixture. After sintering, Mg 2 Sn cluster consisting of Mg 2 Sn nanophase was uniformly distributed in the matrix. The Mg–Mg 2 Sn composite exhibited an appreciable benefit in terms of hardness and compressive strength, while ductility remained quite high.