Twinning–Detwinning in Pre-Compressed and Thermally Treated ZX10 and ZN10 Alloys

The deformation behavior of extruded Mg alloys with a Ca or Nd addition (up to 0.5 wt.%) is addressed with respect to a specified thermo-mechanical treatment, realized by pre-compression and subsequent heat treatment at intermediate temperature. The twinning–detwinning process is discussed with respect to the initial texture and applied heat treatment. Isothermal aging leads to precipitation and segregation along twin boundaries and dislocations in the pre-compressed Mg alloys, and, thus, variation in the mobility of twin boundaries (TB) is observed in the investigated alloys. Despite individual scenarios of TB mobility in particular grains, in general, the same TB mobility modes are observed in the alloys independently on Ca or Nd alloying. The microstructure development, particularly the twin volume fraction and the mobility of tensile {10-12} twin boundaries, is tracked using scanning electron microscopy, including backscattered electron (BSE) imaging and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping.