Role of non-basal slip systems on the microstructure and texture development of ZXK-Mg alloy deformed in Plane Strain Compression at elevated temperature

Abstract

This work investigates the deformation mechanisms active during high temperature plane strain compression and their impact on the microstructural and texture evolution of an Mg-Zn-Ca-Zr (ZXK) alloy. The microstructures of samples deformed at different strains and different loading directions were examined using electron backscatter diffraction measurements. Likely activated slip systems in grains and twins were determined by in-grain misorientation axis (IGMA), and their activity was compared to the simulation results using the Viscoplastic Self-Consistent (VPSC) model. The importance of the active deformation modes on texture development, specifically the formation of particular texture components, has been linked with a profuse activity of non-basal <a> dislocations and the preferential activation of pyramidal I <c+a> slip over pyramidal II <c+a> slip. Along with prismatic <a> slip, the activation of {101¯2} twins and pyramidal <a> slip seems to be pivotal for the stabilization of the so-called TD-texture component in a specific loading configuration.