Investigating the in-plane mechanical anisotropy behavior of Mg–3Al–1Zn–1Ca alloy

This study investigated in-plane mechanical anisotropy in AZX311 Mg alloy, revealing orientation-independent yield strength. Excellent tensile properties were observed along 90° compared to other orientations (0°, 30°, 60°) inclined to the rolling direction. This enhancement is attributed to the increased non-basal slip activity along with the formation of multiple twin boundaries, including {10-12} tension twins (TTWs) and {10-11}-{10-12} double twins (DTWs) and multiple TTW variants within individual grains. While TBs are commonly implicated in premature failure due to stress localization, particularly in the case of DTWs, our observations reveal that TBs form stably and continuously across the microstructure during deformation, providing continuous strain hardening at higher strains in the 90° oriented specimen. Moreover, the enhanced non-basal slip activity, particularly pyramidal in the 90° oriented specimen, effectively mitigated the localized stress concentrations typically associated with TBs, contributing to an improved strength-ductility synergy.