Effects of extrusion ratio on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ31 Mg alloy

The effect of warm rolling under various conditions on the microstructure and mechanical property was investigated using an AZ31 Mg alloy sheet. Several processing parameters such as initial thickness, thickness reduction by a single pass rolling, rolling temperature, roll speed, and roll temperature were varied to elicit an optimum condition for the warm rolling process of AZ31 Mg alloy. Microstructure and mechanical properties were measured for specimens subjected to rolling experiments of various conditions. Warm rolling of 30% thickness reduction per pass was possible without any side-crack at temperatures as low as 200oC under the roll speed of 30 m/min. The initial microstructure before rolling was the mixed one consisting of partially recrystallized and cast structures. Grain refinement was found to occur actively during the warm rolling, producing a very fine grain size of 7 µm after 50% reduction in single pass rolling at 200oC. Yield strength of 204MPa, tensile strength of 330MPa and uniform elongation of 32% have been obtained in warm rolled sheets.

Download Full-text

Improving the Mechanical Properties of AZ31 Mg Alloy by High Ratio Extrusion

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.503-504.865 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 503-504 ◽

pp. 865-870 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Yongjun Chen ◽

Qu Dong Wang ◽

Jianguo Peng ◽

Chun Quan Zhai

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

High Strength ◽

High Ratio ◽

Extrusion Ratio ◽

Mg Alloy ◽

Fine Grained ◽

Az31 Mg Alloy ◽

Industry Applications ◽

One Step ◽

The One

Experiments were conducted both to evaluate the potential for grain refinement, the subsequent mechanical properties at room temperature in samples of AZ31 Mg alloy and also to investigate the relationship between one-step and two-step high ratio extrusion (HRE). The one-step HRE was undertaken using a high extrusion ratio of 70:1 at 250, 300 and 350°C. And the two-step HRE was conducted with an extrusion ratio of 7 for the first step at 250, 300 and 350°C, followed by a second-step extrusion with an extrusion ratio of 10 at 250, 300 and 350°C. The initial grain size in the AZ31 ingot was 100μm and that after one-step HRE became similar to 5μm, after two-step HRE at 250, 300 and 350°C were 2, 4, 7μm, respectively, resulting in superior mechanical properties at ambient temperature. The microstructure of two-step HRE was finer and uniformer than that of one-step HRE and the strength of one-step and two-step HRE were similar, moreover, the elongation of one-step HRE was improved markedly than that of two-step HRE. Dynamic recrystallization and adjacent grain broking during HRE is introduced to explain the effects of one-step and two-step HRE on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ31 Mg alloy. The current results imply that the simple HRE method might be a feasible processing method for industry applications, and the multiply steps extrusion are effective to fabricate high strength of fine grained hcp metals.

Download Full-text