In situ neutron diffraction investigation of deformation twinning and pseudoelastic-like behaviour of extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy

In situ neutron diffraction has been used to investigate the deformation twinning and untwinning during cyclic uniaxial straining of hydrostatically extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy. The development of the internal stresses and microstructure in the polycrystalline alloy when twinning takes place is explained on the basis of the two pairs of parent {10.0}||, {11.0}|| and twin {00.2}||, {10.3}|| grain families. The experimentally observed pseudoelastic-like behaviour in stress–strain cycles is interpreted as being due to the activation of reversal twinning processes during loading–unloading cycles. It is proposed that the driving force for the observed untwinning is the existence of high tensile stresses in favourably oriented grains which result from significant twinning activity prior to unloading from the peak stress.