Simulation of deformation twins and deformation texture in an AZ31 Mg alloy under uniaxial compression

To investigate deformation twins and the evolution of deformation texture during plastic deformation, uniaxial compression tests on a hot-rolled AZ31 Mg alloy were carried out at 200 °C. Cylindrical specimens were then compressed in both the rolling and the normal directions. The findings revealed that texture evolution, work hardening and macroscopic anisotropy are strongly dependent on the loading direction. Electron backscattered diffraction analysis was used to examine the orientation of parent grains and twin bands in the AZ31 Mg alloy under uniaxial compression. A viscoplastic self-consistent model (VPSC) was theoretically employed to calculate the relative activities of slip and twin systems in polycrystalline hexagonal aggregates under uniaxial compression. Each deformed grain exhibited an independent number and type of twin variants under uniaxial compression. Neutron diffraction was used to measure the macroscopic texture of the AZ31 Mg alloy. The VPSC model was used to simulate texture evolution, work hardening and macroscopic anisotropy during the uniaxial compression. A modified predominant twin reorientation (PTR) scheme was suggested to explain the gradual increase in twin volume in deformed grains.