Plastic Work Partitioning During Slip- and Twinning-Dominated Deformation in AZ31B Magnesium Alloy

Abstract Plastic work partitioning was investigated in extruded AZ31B magnesium alloy under loading orientations promoting slip- or twinning-dominated deformation. Slip-dominated deformation exhibits stable plastic flow with approximately 50 pct of plastic work dissipated as heat. But twinning-dominated deformation initially stores most plastic work, delaying dissipation and promoting rapid strain hardening and early strain localization. These distinct mechanical responses correlate with microstructural evolution, showing that, in HCP magnesium alloys, the energy storage depends on the active deformation mechanism.