Effect of electromagnetic stirring and solution treatment on microstructure and properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy

Effect of electromagnetic stirring and solution treatment on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of AZ31 alloy are investigated in this study. Results show that the mechanical properties of AZ31 alloy are substantially increased after electromagnetic stirring and solution treatment. The tensile strength and elongation are 178 MPa and 19.6 % for AZ31 alloy prepared by electromagnetic stirring after solution treatment. A large number of twins and low angle boundaries are observed in the specimen after heat treatment, since the compressive stress on (101‾0 ) crystal plane become larger during quenching. The dislocation arrays, which produced by slip or climbing of dislocations, join together to form low angle boundaries.