Effects of extrusion and equal channel angular pressing on the microstructure, tensile and fatigue behaviour of the wrought magnesium alloy AZ80

The microstructure, mechanical properties, fatigue life and fatigue crack propagation rate of Mg-8Al-0.5Zn-0.3Mn (AZ80) magnesium alloy were investigated after extrusion and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). The highest ultimate and yield strengths and a large enhancement in the fatigue lifetime were obtained after two passes of ECAP. These were decreased with further pressing, although the grain size became finer. There was a correlation between the fatigue and ultimate strengths of AZ80 alloy. The transition from twinning to dislocation slip has also occurred at an average grain size of 7.9 mu m. Simultaneous influences of the grain size and the yield strength caused an almost the same threshold of the stress intensity ratio for different process conditions. Moreover, the enhanced ductility of the ECAPed alloy resulted in an increase in the crack growth resistance because of its better ability to accommodate plastic strains during cycling.