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To explore the coupled effect of temperature Tand strain rate $$\dot{\varepsilon }$$ ε˙ on the deformation features of AZ31 Mg alloy, mechanical behaviors and microstructural evolutions as well as surface deformation and damage features were systematically examined under uniaxial tension at Tspanning from 298 to 523 K and $$\dot{\varepsilon }$$ ε˙ from 10−4to 10−2s−1. The increase in Tor the decrease in $$\dot{\varepsilon }$$ ε˙ leads to the marked decrease in flow stress, the appearance of a stress quasi-plateau after an initially rapid strain hardening, and even to the occurrence of successive strain softening. Correspondingly, the plastic deformation modes of AZ31 Mg alloy transform from the predominant twinning and a limited amount of dislocation slip into the enhanced non-basal slip and the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) together with the weakened twinning. Meanwhile, the cracking modes also change from along grain boundaries (GBs) and at twin boundaries (TBs) or the end of twins into nearby GBs where the DRX has occurred. The appearance of a stress quasi-plateau, the formation of large-sized cracks nearby GBs, and the occurrence of continuous strain softening, are intimately related to the enhancement of the non-basal slip and the DRX.

Optimization of grain boundary engineering (GBE) process is explored in a Fe–20Cr–19Mn–2Mo–0.82 N high-nitrogen and nickel-free austenitic stainless steel, and its intergranular corrosion (IGC) property after GBE treatment is experimentally evaluated. The proportion of low Σ coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries reaches 79.4% in the sample processed with 5% cold rolling and annealing at 1423 K for 72 h; there is an increase of 32.1% compared with the solution-treated sample. After grain boundary character distribution optimization, IGC performance is noticeably improved. Only Σ3 boundaries in the special boundaries are resistant to IGC under the experimental condition. The size of grain cluster enlarges with increasing fraction of low ΣCSL boundaries, and the amount of Σ3 boundaries interrupting the random boundary network increases during growth of the clusters, which is the essential reason for the improvement of IGC resistance.