This study investigated the twinning behavior with increasing compressive strain in rolled AZ31 alloy. With that purpose, a polycrystalline structure with an average grain size of 30 μm was utilized to perform the uniaxial compression tests. Microstructure evolution was traced by in situ electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). Multiple primary twin variants and extension double twins were observed in the same grain. A comprehensive analysis of kernel average misorientation (KAM) and Schmid factor (SF) revealed that the nucleation of twins in one special grain is not only based on the SF criterion, but that it is also strongly influenced by surrounding grains. Moreover, the existing primary twins modified the inner and outer strain distribution close to the twin boundaries. With continued compression, the strain inside the primary twins stimulated the nucleation of double twins, while the strain in the matrixes facilitated twin growth. Therefore, the primary twin growth and the new nucleation of secondary twins could take place simultaneously in the same twinning system to meet the requirements of strain accommodation. Twinning behaviors are controlled by the combined effect of the Schmid factor, strain accommodation between surrounding grains, and variation in the local stress state. The local stress exceeded the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS), implying that twin nucleation is possible. Hence, the twinning process tends to be a response of the local stress rather than the applied stress.
Keywords: double twin; local stress state; multiple twin variants.