Microstructural and Numerical Investigation on the Shear Response of a Rare-Earth Magnesium Alloy Sheet

Shear tests were performed on an anisotropic rare-earth magnesium alloy rolled sheet (ZEK100-O) to study the constitutive plastic behaviour of the material under quasi-static conditions at room temperature. The shear response was characterized in three orientations by setting the shear loading direction at 45°, 90°, and 135° with respect to the rolling direction. Each orientation displayed unique trends in terms of yielding and the work hardening rates. Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) analysis was used to analyze the microstructure of the deformed samples and to determine the twinning modes and twin fraction in each specimen. The results suggest that these parameters have a significant impact on the constitutive behavior of the material. Furthermore, the viscoplastic self-consistent twinning-detwinning (VPSC-TDT) model was used to understand the activity of the various deformation mechanisms and validate the experimental observations.