Magnesium alloy Mg-3%Al-1%Zn （AZ31） billets prepared from equal channel angular pressing （ECAP） were utilized in low-cycle fatigue tests in order to investigate their fatigue life. Fully reversed strain-controlled tension-compression fatigue tests were conducted at the frequency of 1 Hz in ambient air. The microstructures were examined by optical microscopy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The hysteresis loops of the ECAP processed and conventionally extruded samples display obviously different shapes in the total strain amplitude range from 0.2% to 0.6%. Accordingly, the low cycle fatigue lives of ECAP processed samples are found to be longer than those of extruded samples, which can be attributed to the different in the hysteresis energy incorporating tensile strain energy.
Samples prepared from as-extruded magnesium alloy Mg-3%Al-1%Zn （AZ31） billets were utilized in low-cycle fatigue tests in order to investigate the frequency-dependent fatigue life. Fully reversed strain-controlled tension-compression fatigue tests were carried out at frequencies of 1 Hz and 10 Hz in air. The microstructures were examined by optical microscopy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）.When the strain amplitude was lower than 0.2%, the fatigue life exhibited a positive correlation with loading frequency, and the activity of twinning was increased at 10 Hz. When the strain amplitude was higher than 0.2%, significant twinning was observed both at these two frequencies, and the fatigue life was found to be independent of frequency. The possible reasons for this frequency-related fatigue lifetime may be due to the dependence of twinning upon loading frequency and strain amplitude.
Equal channel angular pressing （ECAP） processing and conventional extrusion （Ex） were applied to the Mg-12Gd-3Y-0.5Zr （wt%） magnesium alloy in order to evaluate the potential improvement in the mechanical properties. The ECAP experiment was conducted at 380 ℃ in a die having an included angle of 90° between two channels by the Bc route with the billet rotated by 90° about its longitudinal axis. Subsequently, some billets were processed by conventional extrusion at 300 ℃. The microstructures were examined by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The experimental results indicate that the grain size is refined effectively, but the basal planes are highly inclined （about 40o） from the extrusion axis introduced by ECAP, which impairs the grain boundary strengthening effect. The conventional extrusion, following the ECAP, can modify the grains in hard orientation. Based on grain boundary strengthening due to ECAP and texture strengthening due to Ex, the strength is improved effectively. The enhanced activity of the non-basal slips, due to the refined grains and the reduction in c/a ratio, is responsible for good ductility and high strain hardening rate in samples obtained by the two-step process.
