Effect of texture of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet on mechanical properties and formability at high strain rate

Abstract

The mechanical properties and formability of AZ31 magnesium alloy strips having different textures were investigated at a high strain rate based on that occuring in mass production by press forming. Forming at a high strain rate on the order of 100 s-1 requires a high temperature of over 473 K. To obtain accurate stress-strain curves, a high-speed testing machine that can maintain a constant true strain rate was used, and the change in gauge length on a test piece in a furnace was measured during the testing time of about 0.5 s. For the specimens, rolled strips consisting of fine grains (about 10 μm) and an extruded strip consisting of coarse grains (about 40 μm) were used. The {0001} textures of the extruded strip and one of the rolled strips were strongly oriented parallel to the rolled surface, but the texture of another rolling strip had two peaks that were inclined at 5-15 deg in front of and behind the rolling direction. At the high strain rate of 100 s-1, elongation decreased for every specimen. Nevertheless, a limiting drawing ratio (LDR) of 2.1-2.2 was obtained under uniform heating above 503 K in all the specimens except for the extruded strip. The high LDR of the rolled strip having a two-peak texture was maintained in forming at temperatures down to 473 K, in contrast to the LDR of the strongly oriented rolled strip, which reduced rapidly when formed at temperatures less than 503 K. © 2007 The Japan Society for Technology of Plasticity.