The electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) investigation of a rolled sheet of the magnesium alloy AZ31 revealed a strong basal texture. Sets of samples with three distinct orientations with regards to the detected texture were subjected to compressive loading inside the vacuum chamber of the scanning electron microscope.
The deformation tests were interrupted at pre-selected points of interest, in which the EBSD maps of the sample surface were measured. The subsequent analysis of the obtained data, including quantification of the twinned volume fraction and detailed analysis of slip bands for individual grains provided extensive insight into the correlation of the sample texture and the evolution of preferentially activated deformation mechanisms, which dictate the materials response to mechanical loading.