Crystallography of the bcc/hcp transformation in a Mg–8Li alloy

A magnesium–8 wt% lithium alloy was prepared to give a microstructure of hcp (α) and bcc (β) phases, with the α phase appearing as plates in the β matrix. A near Burgers OR was observed between the two phases, i.e., [ 0 0 0 1 ] α / / [ 0 1 ¯ 1 ] β , ( 1 ¯ 1 0 0 ) α / / ( 2 ¯ 1 1 ) β . An additional ∼0.5° rotation of the bcc lattice around [ 0 0 0 1 ] α / / [ 0 1 ¯ 1 ] β axis, as well as the α/β interface orientation, were both predicted by a moiré plane approach and observed experimentally.