Effect of precompression and subsequent annealing on the texture evolution and bendability of Mg–Gd binary alloy

The bendability of Mg–Gd binary alloy at room temperature is significantly improved through the pre-compression and subsequent annealing (PCA) process. The results show that the formed angle of PCA sample (36°) is more excellent compared with the as-extruded (AE) sample (115°) during three-point bending test, which is mainly attributed to the variation of deformation mechanisms in the tension region. Basal slip dominates the tension strain in the extrados of AE sample, while {10–12} tension twinning and basal slip are activated simultaneously in the same region of PCA sample. The activation of {10–12} twins leads to higher Schmid factor (SF) for basal slip. It provides more prismatic slip activity in the twined areas, which enhance the coordination in thickness strain of PCA sample during the bending test. Therefore, the PCA process gives an insightful information for ameliorating bendability of Mg alloy.