Texture of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Sheet Heavily Rolled by High Speed Warm Rolling

Abstract

Magnesium alloy sheets had to be rolled at elevated temperature to avoid cracking. The poor workability of magnesium alloy is ascribed to its hcp crystallography and insufficient activation of independent slip systems. Present authors have succeeded in 1-pass heavy rolling of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet below 473K by raising rolling speed above 1000m/min. Heavy reduction larger than 60% can be applied by 1-pass high speed rolling even at room temperature. The improvement of workability at lower rolling temperature is due to temperature rise by plastic working. The texture of heavily rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet is investigated in the present study. The texture of sheets rolled 60% at room temperature was <0001>//ND basal texture. At the rolling temperature above 373K, the peak of (0001) pole tilted ±10-15 deg toward RD direction around TD axisto form a double peak texture. The texture varied through thickness. At the surface, the (0001) peak tilted ±10-15 deg toward TD direction around RD axis to form a TD-split double peak texture. The direction of (0001) peak splitting rotated 90 deg from the surface to the center of thickness. Heavily rolled magnesium alloy sheets have non-basal texture. The sheets having non-basal texture are expected to show better ductility than sheets with basal texture.