Influences of warm rolling and annealing processes on microstructure and mechanical properties of three parent structures containing Mg-Li alloys

The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Mg-xLi-3Al-2Zn-0.2Y (x = 5, 8 and 11) alloys under the different rolling temperatures and annealing routes were investigated. The results showed that the Li addition transformed gradually the Mg crystal structure from hcp to bcc. With ascending rolling temperature, the Mg-11Li-3Al-2Zn-0.2Y (LAZ1132-0.2Y) alloy achieved the dynamic recrystallization behavior in advance, as compared with Mg-5Li-3Al-2Zn-0.2Y (LAZ532-0.2Y) and Mg-8Li-3Al-2Zn-0.2Y (LAZ832-0.2Y). Moreover, {0002} basal texture in LAZ532-0.2Y was weakened gradually by ascending rolling temperature. In LAZ832-0.2Y, {11−20} texture component relatively kept stable when the {0002} basal texture was weakened. When rolling at 503 K, a new {211} <201> texture was observed in LAZ1132-0.2Y. In the annealing process, a kind of abnormal grain growth took place in LAZ1132-0.2Y. In addition, a strengthening behavior could be accomplished by strengthening β matrix (bcc).