Evolution of Texture during Hot Rolling of a New Magnesium Alloy

High-strength wrought magnesium alloys are one of the sought-after materials in the automotive sector owing to the demands for weight reduction in the automobiles due to fuel economy and CO2 emission. However, because of low room temperature strength and formability of Mg alloys, only a few applications in wrought form have been explored with these materials. In the present investigation, a high strength, good ductility and low cost wrought magnesium alloy with Mg-Sn-Zn composition have been developed and subjected to conventional wrought processing. Hot rolling was carried out at 350 degrees C without homogenization and after homogenization at 300 degrees C and 330 degrees C. The phase stability, microstructure and texture of the alloy has been investigated for as-cast, homogenized and hot rolled conditions. The compositional and microstructural characterization was carried out by Electron Probe Micro-analysis (EPMA) and optical microscopy respectively. Texture evolution was investigated by X-ray diffraction method. A strong (0002) basal texture develops after hot rolling without homogenization. The (0002) basal texture has been weekend by splitting of poles and double peak distribution when hot rolling was carried out after homogenization.