High performance Mg-8.2Gd-3.8Y-1.0Zn-0.4Zr alloy with high strength and excellent ductility has been successfully developed by hot extrusion. The effect of plate-shaped long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases and solute-segregated stacking faults (SFs) on the dynamically recrystallization (DRX) behavior was analyzed. The plate-shaped LPSO phases stimulate the DRX by particle stimulated nucleation mechanism, leading to higher DRX ratio and weaker basal texture. While for the alloy with dense fine SFs inside the original grains, discontinuous DRX initially occurs at the original grain boundaries, and the DRX is obviously restricted. Consequently, alloy containing dense SFs exhibits higher strength but lower ductility compared with alloy with plated-shaped LPSO phases.

The effect of long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase and γ′ precipitates on the ageing behavior and mechanical properties of the extruded Mg–8.2Gd–3.8Y–1.0Zn–0.4Zr (wt.%) alloy was investigated. The results show that more β′ phases precipitate during ageing treatment in the LPSO phase containing alloy so that the LPSO phase containing alloy exhibits a higher age-hardening response than the γ′ precipitates containing alloy. The precipitation strengthening induced by β′ precipitates is the greatest contributor to the strength of the peak-aged LPSO-containing alloys. Higher strength is achieved in γ′ precipitates containing alloy due to the more effective strengthening induced by dense nanoscale γ′ precipitates than LPSO phases as well as the higher volume fraction of coarse unrecrystallized grains with strong basal texture. The extruded alloy containing γ′ precipitates after T5 peak-ageing treatment shows ultra-high tensile yield strength of 462 MPa, high ultimate tensile strength of 520 MPa, and superior elongation to failure of 10.6%.