Compressive and constitutive analysis of AZ31B magnesium alloy over a wide range of strain rates

Magnesium alloys have been in use for a variety of applications in automotive and aerospace industries. However, their structural use is quite limited. In the current study, AZ31B alloy was tested and analysed at several strain rates between 10−4 s−1 and 3500 s−1. The alloy exhibited 30% (transverse direction) and 55% (rolling direction) increase in the failure strain at 3500 s−1 as compared to 10−4 s−1. Energy absorption is 2–3 times (varies in different loading directions) higher at 3500 s−1 than what is observed at 10 s. Microscopic analysis revealed that the alloy deforms by slip and twining. Twining seems to be an influential participant in the deformation in rolling direction. In 45° and normal loadings, slip is the main deformation mechanism. The Johnson–Cook model was fit to the experimental data and the results are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data except in the beginning portion of the flow curves.