Superior light metals by texture engineering: Optimized aluminum and magnesium alloys for automotive applications

Aluminum and magnesium are two highly important lightweight metals used in automotive applications to reduce vehicle weight. Crystallographic texture engineering through a combination of intelligent processing and alloying is a powerful and effective tool to obtain superior aluminum and magnesium alloys with optimized strength and ductility for automotive applications. In the present article the basic mechanisms of texture formation of aluminum and magnesium alloys during wrought processing are described and the major aspects and differences in deformation and recrystallization mechanisms are discussed. In addition to the crystal structure, the resulting properties can vary significantly, depending on the alloy composition and processing conditions, which can cause drastic texture and microstructure changes. The elementary mechanisms of plastic deformation and recrystallization comprising nucleation and growth and their orientation dependence, either within the homogeneously formed microstructure or due to inhomogeneous deformation, are described along with their impact on texture formation, and the resulting forming behavior. The typical face-centered cubic and hexagonal close-packed rolling and recrystallization textures, and related mechanical anisotropy and forming conditions are analyzed and compared for standard aluminum and magnesium alloys. New aspects for their modification and advanced strategies of alloy design and microstructure to improve material properties are derived. (C) 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.