Microstructure and Micromechanical Properties of Mg Microtubes Prepared by Laser Dieless Drawing

The paper presents microscale experimental investigation performed on microtubes that were prepared with a novel laser dieless drawing (LDD) technique from difficult-to-work AZ31 magnesium alloy (nominally 3wt.%Al-1wt.%Zn-0.3wt.%Mn-Mg balanced). A microstructure analysis was performed via various microscopic techniques. Mechanical response of individual grains with various orientations was tested using instrumental nanoindentation and the results were compared with the microstructure. Distributions of elastic modulus, hardness and visco-elastic properties were analyzed. In addition, microtubes were also characterized in terms of their surface roughness and morphology based on different modes of surface treatment. The grain size is practically not changed when LDD is applied after extrusion showing low thermal and straining effect of the process. Local mapping of mechanical properties does not show weak spots and imply feasibility of the novel production technology.