The texture and anisotropy of hot extruded magnesium alloys fabricated via rapid solidification powder metallurgy

Rapid solidification magnesium alloy powders produced by spinning water atomization process were hot extruded into rectangular bars, from which tensile and compression samples have been cut at 0 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees angles from the extrusion direction to study their anisotropy. Electron back-scattered diffraction analysis has been used to investigate the texture evolution during the extrusion process. Texture parameters like the Schmid factor and the intensity of (0 0 0 1) basal plane in the pole figure have been evaluated and correlated to the mechanical properties. Results have shown that the extruded rods exhibited high strength and relatively less anisotropy compared to other previously reported values for wrought magnesium alloys. Tensile and compression yield stresses have shown very similar values to each other at all loading directions. This limited anisotropy could be linked to both the fine grained and inter-metallic-compound-dispersed microstructure of the extruded alloys. Dynamic recrystallization behavior during hot extrusion has also been investigated in the present study. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.