In situ analysis of deformation twins within a magnesium polycrystal: (II) twin growth

The process of twin growth is difficult to be captured instantaneously. Synchrotron polychromatic X-ray microdiffraction (micro-XRD) is applied to in situ study twin growth in extruded Mg-3Al-1Zn polycrystal subjected to uniaxial tension. The micro-XRD data is used to map an area of 396 × 200 μm² under the loading levels from 12 MPa to 73 MPa. The orientations of seven parents and ten resultant twins are determined by indexing Laue patterns, while their morphologies are mapped by the integrated intensities of particular reflections. {101¯2} twins are detected at 64 MPa. The maximum SF criterion for twin variant selection is invalid here. Twin growth rates are deduced from the variation of integrated intensities between 64 MPa and 68 MPa. It is found that twin growth rates in the HCP material are not proportional to active twin's SF values, though the SF value is related to the magnitude of driving resource. Twin growth rate exhibits obvious anisotropy, either for lengthwise growth rate or thickness growth rate. When two twins within a parent belong to the same twin variant, they exhibit similar growth rates. Meanwhile, when two twins within a parent come across, one can block the other and the latter occur shrinking.