Enhanced formability at elevated temperature of a cross-rolled magnesium alloy sheet

Relationship between texture and press formability of AZ31 Mg alloy sheets processed by cross-roll rolling was investigated. The Erichsen values of the cross-rolled specimens showed superior press formability compared with those of the specimens by normal-roll rolling. The superior press formability was related to a reduction in directional dependence of the thickness-direction strain and width-direction strain normalized by the tensile-direction strain (epsilon(t)/epsilon(L) and epsilon(w)/epsilon(L)). The (0002) plane texture for the cross-rolled specimen exhibited the low texture intensity and the narrow spread of basal planes to rolling direction. The reduction of anisotropy in the width-direction strain and the thickness-direction strain was likely attributed to activation of prismatic < a > slip and pyramidal < a + c > slip originated from the texture modifications. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.