Effect of twinning on recrystallisation textures in deformed magnesium alloy AZ31

The evolution of texture during the tensile deformation of Mg–3.1%Al–1.05%Zn was studied by microtexture and macrotexture techniques. The deformation texture is shown to be the direct consequence of the variant selection that occurs during primary (contraction) and secondary (extension) twinning. During subsequent annealing, the secondary twins have a higher rate of nucleation than the primary twins and expanded within the latter rather than in the matrix grains. As a result, the primary twins did not contribute significantly to the annealing texture.