Significance of twinning in the anisotropic behavior of a magnesium alloy processed by equal-channel angular pressing

An extruded magnesium AZ31 alloy was processed by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) and then tested in compression using three orthogonal orientations. The results reveal a significant anisotropy in the mechanical behavior, which is affected by the ECAP processing. The tendency for twinning in the extruded alloy decreases with additional straining when testing along the billet axis, but this tendency increases in the through-thickness direction.