Influence of Pre-Compression on Tensile Behaviour in Wrought Mg-Zn-Ce Alloy Studied by the Acoustic Emission Technique

Wrought Mg-Zn-Ce alloy (ZE10) has been pre-compressed and subsequently subjected to tensile loading. Due to a fibre texture of the samples, the level of pre-compression stress significantly influences the subsequent tensile behaviour. The acoustic emission technique was used for monitoring active deformation mechanisms during mechanical testing. The obtained acoustic emission results are correlated to the stress-time curves and the differences in the acoustic emission count rate were used to reveal changes in underlying deformation mechanisms. Firstly, a compression-tension cycle was monitored by the acoustic emission technique. Then, the samples were deformed to specific points on the stress-time curve, where acoustic emission exhibits strong changes in the activity. The following microstructure analysis of the samples, deformed to different strain-levels, by using electron back scattered diffraction method brought a detailed insight into active deformation mechanisms. Twinning during the pre-compression was followed by detwinning during the tensile loading. Two consecutive acoustic emission peaks, which appeared at larger strains, are explained by interplay of detwinning and dislocation slip and a nucleation of compression twins, respectively