Calcium and zirconium as texture modifiers during rolling and annealing of magnesium-zinc alloys

Rolling experiments were carried out on a ternary Mg-Zn-Ca alloy and its modification with zirconium. Short time annealing of as-rolled sheets is used to reveal the microstructure and texture development. The texture of the as-rolled sheets can be characterised by basal pole figures with split peak towards the rolling direction (RD) and a broad transverse angular spread of basal planes towards the transverse direction (TD). During annealing the RD split peaks as well as orientations in the sheet plane vanish whereas the distribution of orientations tilted towards the TD remains. It is shown in EBSD measurements that during rolling bands of twin containing structures form. During subsequent annealing basal orientations close to the sheet plane vanish based on a grain nucleation and growth mechanism of recrystallisation. Orientations with tilt towards the TD remain in grains that do not undergo such a mechanism. The addition of Zr delays texture weakening. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.