Effect of deep surface rolling on microstructure and properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy

A solution-treated AZ91 bulk material was deep-surface-rolled at room temperature to investigate the effect of deep surface rolling on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy. Microhardness and microstructure along the depth of the treated surface layer were characterized. The results show that the affected layer was up to 2.0 mm thick and consisted of three sublayers: a severe deformation layer with thickness of about 400 μm from the topmost surface, a medium deformation layer with thickness of around 600 μm and a small deformation layer up to 1000 μm thick. In addition to grain refinement in the deformation layer, strain-induced precipitation of β phase (Mg₁₇Al₁₂) was observed, particularly in the severe and medium deformation layers. It is believed that the cooperative effects of grain refinement, strain hardening and precipitation strengthening led to the significant increase in hardness of the AZ91 alloy after the deep surface rolling.