Tailoring Crystallographic Texture in AZ۶۱ Mg Alloy through Sever Plastic Deformation

The Accumulative Back Extrusion (ABE) process is a recently developed severe plastic deformation (SPD) technique capable of imposing large equivalent strains on metallic materials without significant dimensional change. In this study, the ABE method was applied to an AZ۶۱ magnesium alloy to investigate the evolution of microstructure and crystallographic texture during deformation at various temperatures and pass numbers. Cylindrical AZ۶۱ specimens were processed through one to three ABE passes at temperatures between ۲۵۰ °C and ۴۰۰ °C. The crystallographic textures were examined using X-ray diffraction pole figure measurements. Results revealed that a single ABE pass at temperatures below ۳۵۰ °C produces a strong basal texture, while increasing the deformation temperature or pass number leads to a noticeable weakening and reorientation of the basal poles toward the transverse direction (TD), forming a spheroid or off-basal texture. This texture evolution is attributed to the activation of non-basal slip systems, particularly prismatic slip, and dynamic recrystallization mechanisms promoted by fine grain size and elevated temperature. The findings demonstrate that ABE processing is a highly effective route to refine the microstructure and tailor the texture of Mg alloys, providing a pathway toward improved ductility and mechanical anisotropy control in lightweight structural applications.

Keywords:

Accumulative Back Extrusion (ABE) , Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) , AZ۶۱ magnesium alloy , Texture evolution , Non-basal slip , Dynamic recrystallization , Microstructure refinement , Off-basal texture