Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Aged and Hot Rolled AZ80 Magnesium Alloy Sheets

Abstract

This study focused on the effects of ageing for various time at 175 °C before hot rolling on microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ80 magnesium alloys. The amount of γ-Mg17Al12 increased in line with ageing time and during the rolling process could facilitate the fine grains and sub-grains, which resulted in an inhomogeneous or bimodal microstructure, and weakening basal-type texture intensity or occurrence of double-peak texture. However, a larger quantity of γ-Mg17Al12 distributed on the matrix in the alloy aged for 240 min, or the precipitates decorating the grain boundaries in the alloy aged for 75 min, were detrimental to the mechanical properties, and lower ultimate tensile strength with elongation were obtained in the two alloys as a result. When the alloy was aged for 200 min, it showed an optimum mechanical property with its yield strength of 281 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 363 MPa and a medium elongation of 13.3%, which was mainly attributed to the interaction of the hard second phase particles with dislocation movement and the lowest basal-type texture intensity that favored the basal slip.