Orientation analyses for twinning behavior in small-strain hot-rolling process of twin-roll cast AZ31B sheet

Small-strain hot-rolling experiments have been conducted on AZ31B twin-roll cast sheets. Optical microscope (OM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) tests were used to study the various twinning behaviors in the rolling process. After 10% hot-rolling, grains lying with C-axes perpendicular to the ND twinned on the { 1   0   1 ¯   2 } 〈 1   0   1 ¯   1 〉 system with the largest SF, and rotated to orientations with C-axes aligned with ND, causing a sudden increase in basal texture consequently. With the increase of rolling reduction, { 1   0   1 ¯   1 } − { 1   0   1 ¯   2 } twins began to form in the new oriented grains, following the Schmid law. No evident increase in basal texture was found as rolling strain increased from 10% to 20% due to the inhomogeneous strain located in { 1   0   1 ¯   1 } − { 1   0   1 ¯   2 } twinned regions.