INFLUENCE OF THE HEAT TREATMENT ON THE TEXTURE OF TWIN-ROLL CAST AZ31 MAGNESIUM ALLOY

Weight reduction is one of the major issues in many industrial areas. New structural materials which meet the highest standards, good mechanical properties, such as strength and ductility, and thermal stability are required. Aluminum and magnesium alloys attract particular attention because of their low density. Among various methods of manufacturing lightweight alloys, twin-roll casting is nowadays frequently used to produce flat rolled magnesium materials. This cost-effective process has beneficial influence on microstructure. The mechanical properties of such materials are remarkably improved compared to conventionally cast alloys. Nevertheless, the continuous casting technique is characterized by strong texture of the rolled strip. The present paper reports on the comparison of microstructure and texture of twin-roll cast AZ31 magnesium strip in the as-cast and annealed states. The microstructure studies were made by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The texture was investigated using X-Ray diffraction and electron back-scatter diffraction.