Microstructure and high tensile ductility of ZK60 magnesium alloy processed by cyclic extrusion and compression

The microstructure and texture development of an extruded ZK60 Mg alloy during cyclic extrusion and compression (CEC) at 230 degrees C was investigated. Tensile tests were performed at room temperature at a strain rate of 1 x 10(-3) s(-1). The results show that the microstructure was effectively refined by the CEC processing. The initial fiber texture became disintegrated during CEC processing and developed a new texture. After CEC 4-passes, the elongation-to-failure significantly increased almost three times compared with that of as-extruded alloy. Texture change and grain refinement were considered to be responsible for the large tensile ductility in the CEC processed ZK60 alloy. Furthermore, the smaller intensity of texture of CEC processed specimen may be another reason for the large ductility. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.