Effect of channel clearance on crystal orientation development in AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet produced by equal channel angular rolling

The objective of this study is to determine the effect of channel clearance on crystal orientation evolution in AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet, which is produced by a new process, so-called equal channel angular rolling (ECAR) process, by finite element method and X-ray diffraction examination. The shear angle decreases from 41° for the channel clearance of 1.00 to 4° for that of 1.29. Processing that causes continuous shearing deformation leads to a shifting of the crystal orientation from basal plane to non-basal plane. The crystal orientation evolves from (0 0 0 2) basal plane orientation for the unECARed sheet to non-basal plane orientation for the ECARed sheet. And the tilted angle between the basal plane and rolling plane for the ECARed sheets decreases when the channel clearance increasing from 1.00 to 1.29. The limiting drawing ratio is improved from 1.2 for the unECARed specimens to 1.6 for the ECARed ones produced with the channel clearance of 1.00.