Experimental investigation of pulse current on mechanical behaviour of AZ31 alloy

The effect of pulse current on the mechanical properties of AZ31 alloy is investigated through uniaxial tensile test at different temperatures. The electroplastic effect is evaluated by the change of ultimate strength. During tensile test, both microstructure evolution and fracture behaviour are sensitive to the applied deformation conditions. In this work, the influence of pulse current is discussed from the point of view of microstructure evolution and fracture characteristics. The experimental results show that the dynamic recrystallisation temperature of AZ31 is reduced by the pulse current and continuous dynamic recrystallisation is found at 100 degrees C for tensile test with current. The data also indicate that the pulse current accelerates the precipitation and dissolved of the second phase particles in AZ31 alloy.