Enhancement of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy sheet by pre-straining and annealing

Pre-straining and annealing processes were carried out to enhance the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of AZ31 sheet by modifying the microstructure and texture. The results showed that by a small tensile deformation along the weak basal textured orientation, the pre-strained AZ31 samples showed higher strength and improved anisotropy after annealing. Furthermore, because the texture reinforcement effect obtained by the pre-deformation was retained during annealing, the corrosion resistance of pre-strained and annealed specimens was enhanced compared with the as-extruded sheet, which was characterised by the evolved hydrogen and the immersed surfaces. This study suggested that appropriate pre-straining accompanied annealing was a potential technique to improve the comprehensive properties of the magnesium alloy sheets.