The application of magnesium flat products is affected by the limited formability at room temperature and the anisotropy of the mechanical properties. The main reason for this is the underlying hexagonal crystal structure of magnesium and the development of strong crystallographic textures during massive forming processes with distinct alignment of basal planes. For an improvement in the properties of semi-finished products, the detailed knowledge of the influence of the manufacturing process on the microstructure and texture evolution of the flat products as a result of dynamic and static recrystallization is required. In this work, flat products made of conventional magnesium alloy AZ31 were manufactured by the rolling process as well as by direct extrusion, with variation in the process temperature. This allowed the development of a distinct variation in microstructures and textures of the flat products. The effects on mechanical properties and formability are highlighted and discussed in relation to the microstructure and texture. It is shown that both the process and the temperature have a major influence on texture and consequently on the material properties.

The processability during massive deformation of magnesium-wrought products is hampered by the low formability of magnesium alloys. The research results of recent years demonstrate that rare earth elements as alloying elements improve the properties of magnesium sheets, such as formability, strength and corrosion resistance. The substitution of rare earth elements by Ca in Mg-Zn-based alloys results in a similar texture evolution and mechanical behaviour as RE-containing alloys. This work is an approach to understanding the influence of Mn as an alloying element to increase the strength of a Mg-Zn-Ca alloy. For this aim, a Mg-Zn-Mn-Ca alloy is used to investigate how Mn affects the process parameters during rolling and the subsequent heat treatment. The microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of rolled sheets and heat treatment at different temperatures are compared. The outcome of casting and the thermo-mechanical treatment are used to discuss how to adapt the mechanical properties of magnesium alloy ZMX210. The alloy ZMX210 behaves very similarly to the ternary Mg-Zn-Ca alloys. The influence of the process parameter rolling temperature on the properties of the ZMX210 sheets was investigated. The rolling experiments show that the ZMX210 alloy has a relatively narrow process window.

This paper reports on the dilemma of the strength and forming behavior of magnesium alloy sheets due to hot rolling and precipitation aging as an obstacle for property adjustment. The effect of the Zn content on the age-hardenability and formability of Mg-Zn-Al-Ca-Mn sheets was investigated. Sheets of two alloys with 2 or 4 wt.% Zn, respectively, were produced by casting and subsequent hot rolling and their microstructure development, precipitation behavior and formability were examined. With higher Zn content the age-hardenability was increased, but at the same time the formability of the sheet decreased, concurrent to the basal-type texture development during rolling. On the other hand, the sheet containing a lower amount of Zn exhibited a weak rolling texture and rather high formability but low age-hardenability. The addition of a larger amount of Zn improved the age-hardenability through the formation of ${\beta }_1^{\prime }$ and ${\beta }_2^{\prime }$ phases. The basal texture was exhibited due to the consumption of solute Ca due to the formation of the Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ phase. This study suggests that this contradictory exhibition of the age-hardenability and formability of Ca-containing and Zn-based alloy sheets requires a strategical approach in alloy and process design, which allows tailoring the alloying elements and processing for the respective purpose.