Effect of electropulsing treatment on static recrystallization behavior of cold-rolled magnesium alloy ZK60 with different reductions

Effect of electropulsing treatment (EPT) on recrystallization behavior of cold-rolled Mg alloy ZK60 strips was investigated. It was found that EPT significantly improved nucleation rate and migration ability of grain boundaries, leading to accelerated recrystallization of the deformed metals at relatively low temperature. After the recrystallization induced by EPT, the average grain size of 20% rolling reduction samples decreased from 113 μm to around 10 μm, meanwhile the typical basal-type texture of the cold-rolled sample was weakened. EPT was normally accompanied with a thermal and an athermal effects. The athermal effect played a dominated role in increasing nucleation rate, while the thermal effect promoted grain growth. A fewer recrystallized grains originated along the grain boundaries in the 10% reduction samples, while most of the recrystallization took place inside the twins in the 20% reduction samples.