Superplasticity and superplastic formability of hot-rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy

The superplasticity of a hot-rolled AZ31 Mg alloy was investigated by uniaxial tensile tests at temperature range 250-450 degrees C and strain rate range 0.7x 10(-3)-1.4 x 10(-1) s(-1). Superplastic formability of the alloy was evaluated by gas bulging test at elevated temperatures. The threshold stress for grain boundary sliding (GBS) was calculated and the topography during superplastic deformation was observed by SEM. It is found that, at 400 degrees C and 0.7x 10(-3) s(-1), the maximum elongation reaches 362.5%. GBS is the predominant deformation mechanism and characterized by a pronounced improvement in homogeneity with increasing temperatures, indicating a transformation of GBS mode from cooperative GBS (CGBS) to individual GBS (IGBS). The improved homogeneity of GBS can be interpreted in terms of decreased threshold stress with increasing temperatures. Gas bulging test demonstrates that the temperature for the best superplastic formability is 400 degrees C and a hemispherical part with a specific limiting dome height of 0.51 was obtained, suggesting good application prospect for this alloy.