Texture evolution and mechanical properties of AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets processed by repeated unidirectional bending

Commercial AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets have poor plasticity and stamping formability at room temperature owing to strong basal texture. In this study, a method termed ‘repeated unidirectional bending’ (RUB) was applied to improve the mechanical properties of magnesium alloy sheets by controlling the texture. The evolution of the texture and mechanical properties of the sheets during RUB and annealing were systematically investigated. In the sheets that underwent RUB, the c  -axis tended to become inclined from the normal direction (ND) towards the rolling direction (RD), and the {1 0 1¯ 2} extension twinning was activated during bending. When a sheet that had undergone RUB was annealed at 260 °C, the mechanical ductility at room temperature was improved considerably because the texture components became more dispersed along the RD, and work hardening was also eliminated by annealing.