In this study, we studied the dual role of magnesium on the high-temperature deformation mechanisms and microstructural evolution of high-Mg 5383 aluminum alloys. We developed a quantitative framework to characterize high-temperature flow behavior and constructed 3D processing maps to identify processing instabilities. The results indicate that solid solution strengthening induced by Mg atoms leads to a substantial increase in peak flow stress. The thermal activation energy rises significantly from 182 kJ/mol to 209 kJ/mol at a Mg content of 5 wt.%, which highlights the pronounced solute drag effects on dislocations. Moreover, Mg-modified grain boundary dynamics enhance power dissipation efficiency by 34% (from 35% to 47%). With an increasing Mg content, the processing instability domains expand, thereby shifting the optimal processing parameters towards higher-temperature and lower-strain-rate regions (500 °C/0.05 s-1). The results provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing the thermal processing characteristics and mechanical properties of high-Mg aluminum 5xxx series alloys.
Keywords: aluminum alloy; high-temperature deformation behavior; thermal processing; thermal processing diagram.