Ductility tailoring via single-to-multi-slip transition in conventionally extruded Mg-2.6Er-0.6Zr alloy
摘要
This study elucidates the distinct room-temperature tensile deformation mechanisms in cast versus extruded Mg-Er-Zr alloys by integrating electron backscatter diffraction with visco-plastic self-consistent modeling. The cast alloy features homogeneous equiaxed grains with a random texture, while the extruded alloy exhibits a fibrous bimodal structure and a rare earth texture. In the cast alloy, basal slip predominates during the initial deformation stage, accompanied by tensile twinning-coordinated strain accommodation (relative activity: 22%). The progressive development of deformed fiber texture reduces the Schmid factor (SF) of basal slip from 0.31 to 0.24, suppressing basal slip while activating non-basal slip. Conversely, grain refinement in the extruded alloy nearly eliminates tensile twinning. Although basal slip prevails initially, prismatic slip activates prematurely (relative activity: 13%). The subsequent accelerated reduction of the basal SF (from 0.34 to 0.27) triggers significant pyramidal II < c + a > slip, as evidenced by its decreased critical resolved shear stress ratio relative to basal slip (from 9.8 to 4.4). The high activity of prismatic and pyramidal II < c + a > slip systems in the extruded alloy during the later deformation stages results in a transition from a single-slip dominant mechanism to a cooperative multi-slip system, significantly enhancing the ductility of the extruded alloy.