Hot forging of Mg-4Al-2Ba-2Ca (ABaX422) alloy and validation of processing map

A cup-shaped component of Mg-4Al-2Ba-2Ca (ABaX422) alloy was forged in the temperature range of 300–500 °C and at speeds in the range of 0.01–10 mm/s with a view to validate the processing map and study the microstructural development. The process was simulated through finite-element method to estimate the local and average strain rate ranges in the forging envelope. The processing map exhibited two domains in the following ranges: (1) 300–390 °C and 0.0003–0.001 s−1, and (2) 400–500 °C and 0.0003–0.3 s−1 and both represented dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The map revealed a wide flow instability regime at higher strain rates and temperatures lower than 400 °C, in which flow localization occurred. Forgings produced under conditions of the above two domains were sound and symmetrical, and had finer grain sizes when being forged in the first domain. However, when being forged in the flow instability regimes, the alloy fractured before the final shape was reached. The experimental load–stroke curves for the conditions within the domains correlated well with the simulated ones, whereas the curves obtained in the instability regime were uneven.