Macro-micro deformation behaviors of stable deformation zone under LCR process for AZ31B magnesium alloy

Specimens in the stable deformation zone of a novel longitudinal corrugated rolling (LCR) process for AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets were prepared. The deformation behavior of the stable deformation zone for LCR sheets was analyzed by combining FEM and experiments. The simulation results show that the LCR process introduces shear strains similar to asynchronous rolling, while the introduced bending deformation changes the stress state of the conventional rolling process and exhibits different metal flow patterns. The experimental results show that the grain refinement effect of LCR sheets is significant, in which the average grain size at the trough is refined to 1.44 μm due to a higher degree of dynamic recrystallization (DRX). It is noteworthy that the pyramidal〈c+a〉slip during the whole deformation exhibits a high average Schmidt factor, which favors the nucleation process of DRXed grains. The average hardness of the LCR sheet reaches 78 HV, which is a significant increase compared to that of the initial sheet. These results indicate that the LCR process can effectively refine the microstructure of AZ31B magnesium alloy, promote the dynamic recrystallization behavior and improve its mechanical properties.