Abstract
In this study, Mg-6Zn-(2Gd)-0.6Zr alloys were fabricated by the extrusion-shearing process. Dynamic compression experiments were conducted using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) at strain rates from 800 to 2500 s−1. The influence of strain rates on microstructural evolution was systematically characterized. The results showed that the average grain sizes are refined from 17.4 µm in the Mg-6Zn-0.6Zr alloy to 3.6 µm in the Mg-6Zn-2Gd-0.6Zr alloy. The peak flow stresses of the two alloys increase monotonically with strain rates, exhibiting strain rate strengthening. The tensile twinning is the main deformation mechanism of dynamic compression. Meanwhile, most activated tensile twin variants follow Schmid's law, while twin nucleation with lower Schmid factors is due to strain accommodation between adjacent grains.
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