The low density of magnesium alloys qualifies them as an ideal material for reducing the weight of structural components. For manufacturing these structural components, the extrusion process offers the possibility to obtain finished flat product in only one process step through a high degree of deformation. However, the use of magnesium flat products is difficult due to the limited formability at room temperature and the anisotropy of the mechanical properties. The reason for this is the hexagonal crystal structure of magnesium and the formation of a strong crystallographic texture during the massive forming process. Therefore, to improve the formability of flat products, it is necessary to know precisely how the microstructure and texture are influenced by alloying elements as well as by process parameters like the extrusion temperature. To control the microstructure and texture it is necessary to understand the recrystallization mechanism.
In this study, two magnesium alloys WZ10 and WZX100 have been studied in terms of recrystallization behavior and room temperature formability. The results show that alloying elements can have different effects depending on the recrystallization mechanisms (dynamic and static recrystallization). Furthermore, the results show that the initial microstructure after extrusion is essential for the texture development by subsequent static recrystallization and their resulting formability.