Microstructure and Texture Evolution of Hot-Rolled Mg-3Gd Alloy during Recrystallization

An Mg-3Gd (wt.%) sample with gradient rolling strains (& epsilon; = 0-0.55) was prepared using a wedge-shaped plate after one-pass hot rolling, allowing a high-throughput characterization of microstructure and texture over a wide strain range within one hot-rolled plate. The microstructure and texture evolutions were characterized as a function of rolling strain for the as-hot-rolled sample and as a function of annealing temperature for the subsequently annealed samples. The deformed microstructure showed a gradual change with increasing rolling strain, i.e., from a deformation twins-dominant structure in the low strain range of 0-0.20, to a shear bands-dominant structure in the higher strain range of 0.20-0.55. The recrystallization behavior during annealing showed a clear correlation between the recrystallization nucleation site and the deformed microstructure. However, a weak recrystallization texture with non-basal texture components was formed over almost the entire strain range. This work demonstrates a high-throughput experimental strategy using a wedge-shaped sample to investigate the effect of various processing parameters, such as strain and annealing temperature, on the evolution of microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties, which could accelerate the optimization of processing parameters and microstructural design.