The effect of the rare earth element Er on the microstructures and properties of Mg-Al intermetallic were studied in this experiment. Metallographic and X-ray diffraction(XRD) results showed that the microstructures of Mg-Al-Er alloys varied with Er content. The Mg-44Al-0.5Er and Mg-43.8Al-1.0Er alloys were both composed of Mg17Al12 matrix and Al3 Er phase, whereas Mg-43Al-3.0Er and Mg-42Al-5.0Er were composed of Mg17Al12 matrix, Al3 Er phase, and Mg-Mg17Al12 eutectic. The Mg-42Al-5.0Er alloy showed the highest microhardness, and the values remained nearly stable as Er content increased from 1.0 wt.% to 5.0 wt.%. The dispersed second phase Al3 Er caused the grain refinement of the Mg-Al-Er alloy, which was the main reason for the improvement in microhardness. The corrosion resistance of the Er-containing alloys initially increased and then decreased with increasing Er content. All the Er-containing alloys had the ability to suppress hydrogen evolution, which was the main reason for the higher corrosion resistance of the modified alloys than that of the Mg-44.3Al alloy. Considering the higher hardness and dispersity of the Al3 Er phase, Mg-43.8Al-1.0Er exhibited higher wear resistance than the as-cast Mg-44.3Al alloy.
