MICROSTRUCTURAL EVOLUTION AND FLOW BEHAVIOR OF TWIN-ROLL CAST AZ41 MAGNESIUM ALLOY DURING HOT COMPRESSION

Abstract

Microstructural evolution and flow behavior of twin-roll cast AZ41 magnesium alloy during hot compression were characterized by employing deformation temperature of 300°C, 350°C and 400°C, and strain rate ranging from 10-3 to 10-2 s -1. When compressed at different temperature (300°C, 350°C and 400°C) and strain rate (10-3 and 10-2 s -1) all stress strain curves showed a flow softening behavior before strained to 0.51 due to dynamic recrystallization, even though concurrent twinning was quite active. Twinning contributed to the flow hardening behavior appeared during the end of hot compression (ε > 0.51) at a strain rate of 10-2 s -1 and elevated temperature (300°C, 350°C and 400°C) in spite of the softening effect of concurrently occurred dynamic recrystallization. TEM image showed that discontinuous recrystallization occurred when deformed at elevated temperature as high as 400°C and the strain rate ranging from 10-2 to 10-3 s -1. It is suggested that dislocation slip, twinning and recrystallization develop in a cyclic mode from initial stage to the end of hot compression.