Microstructure and Hot Deformation Behavior of Twin Roll Cast Mg-2Zn-1Al-0.3Ca Alloy

In the present work, the microstructure, texture, mechanical properties as well as hot deformation behavior of a Mg-2Zn-1Al-0.3Ca sheet manufactured by twin roll casting were investigated. The twin roll cast state reveals a dendritic microstructure with intermetallic compounds predominantly located in the interdendritic areas. The twin roll cast samples were annealed at 420 °C for 2 h followed by plane strain compression tests in order to study the hardening and softening behavior. Annealing treatment leads to the formation of a grain structure, consisting of equiaxed grains with an average diameter of approximately 19 µm. The twin roll cast state reveals a typical basal texture and the annealed state shows a weakened texture, by spreading basal poles along the transverse direction. The twin roll cast Mg-2Zn-1Al-0.3Ca alloy offers a good ultimate tensile strength of 240 MPa. The course of the flow curves indicate that dynamic recrystallization occurs during hot deformation. For the validity range from 250 °C to 450 °C as well as equivalent logarithmic strain rates from 0.01 s^-1 to 10 s^-1 calculated model coefficients are shown. The average activation energy for plastic flow of the twin roll cast and annealed Mg-2Zn-1Al-0.3Ca alloy amounts to 180.5 kJ/mol. The processing map reveals one domain with flow instability at temperatures above 370 °C and strain rates ranging from 3 s^-1 to 10 s^-1. Under these forming conditions, intergranular cracks arose and grew along the grain boundaries.