Experimental Investigation of Mechanical and Microstructural Properties of Strips Fabricated By Large Strain Extrusion Machining (LSEM) Process

Abstract

Magnesium alloys have gained attention in the fields of aerospace, automobile and defence sectors due to their unique strength to weight ratio and lightweight. However, poor formability of these alloys limits their wide range of applications as engineering materials. A unique severe plastic deformation method (SPD) of large strain extrusion machining (LSEM) was used to fabricate strips of magnesium AZ31B alloy in the present investigation. This method can improve abovementioned limitations of magnesium alloy in single step of processing. The mechanical properties of the strips produced using LSEM were measured by microhardness testing and nanoindentation. Also, the deformation behaviour and microstructural analysis of strips were done using X-ray diffraction and electron beam scattering diffraction method (EBSD). The hardness measurements revealed that the hardness of fabricated strips was substantially more than the ingot material. The evolution of equiaxed grains due to dynamic recrystallization increases hardness of strips of AZ31B Mg alloy. Also the nanohardness of strips was found to be more than the ingot material.