Deformation Behavior of a Magnesium Alloy Sheet with random crystallographic orientations

In the present study, the deformation behavior of a cast Mg alloy sheet that had random crystallographic orientations was studied both experimentally and numerically. Although the crystallographic orientations were random, the stress-strain curve was asymmetric between tension and compression: the flow stress under tension was higher than that of compression. Moreover, the stress-strain curve exhibited a strain path dependency: a slightly sigmoidal curve occurred under tension following compression, while it did not occur under compression following tension. Clearly, such tendencies were similar to those observed in rolled Mg alloy sheets although the tendencies were less pronounced in the cast Mg alloy sheet. A crystal plasticity finite-element method was used to understand the mechanism of these results. Simulation results showed that the asymmetry and the strain path dependency in the stress-strain curves occurred in the cast Mg alloy sheet because of the asymmetry in the activity of twinning between tension and compression as in the case of rolled Mg alloy sheets.