Rechargeable lithium ion batteries have been widely used in portable consumer electronic devices, hybrid and full electric vehicles, and emergency power supply systems, because of their high energy density and long lifespan. The lithium ion battery market was approximately $11.8 billion in 2010 and is expected to grow to $53.7 billion in 2020. However, there is an intrinsic safety issue in these batteries because electrolyte contains a flammable organic solvent which may cause fire and/or even explosion. All solid-state lithium ion battery is recognized as next-generation technology for rechargeable power sources due to improved safety, high energy density, and long cycle life. Inorganic solid electrolyte replace liquid one to eliminate flammable components. The major challenge for all solid-state lithium ion batteries is to develop solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and good stability against both electrodes. Amorphous lithium lanthanum titanium oxide (LLTO) is very promising as solid electrolyte owing to its high ionic conductivity, good stability, and wide electrochemical stability window. In this work, amorphous LLTO thin films (or powders) were successfully prepared by sol-gel process. The thin films are smooth and crack-free. The microstructure evolution from dried gel film to fired film to annealed film was examined. The microstructure of the annealed film, either amorphous or crystalline, depends on the annealing temperature and time. Theoretical analysis was conducted to understand the microstructure evolution. Induction time determines the longest annealing time without transformation from amorphous to crystalline state. The induction time decreases with annealing temperature until the time approaches a minimum, and after that, the time increases with the temperature. Ion transport properties were investigated by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The plateau at low frequencies results from lithium ion long-range diffusion which contributes to dc conductivity, while the observed frequency dispersion at high frequencies is attributed to short-range forward¨Cbackward hopping motion of lithium ions. The relaxation processes are non-Debye in nature. Amorphous LLTO is compatible with Li metal due to its disordered atomic configuration. Finally, a 3D structure of electrode with amorphous LLTO was successfully prepared. This electrode displays promising electrochemical performance.

This thesis contains the development of a physically-based model describing the microstructural evolution during hot deformation of microalloyed steels. The work is mainly focused on the recrystallization kinetics. During hot rolling, the repeated deformation and recrystallization provides progressively refined recrystallized grains. Also, recrystallization enables the material to be deformed more easily and knowledge of the recrystallization kinetics is important in order to predict the required roll forces. Hot strip rolling is generally conducted in a reversing roughing mill followed by a continuous finishing mill. During rolling in the roughing mill the temperature is high and complete recrystallization should occur between passes. In the finishing mill the temperature is lower which means slower recrystallization kinetics and partial or no recrystallization often occurs. If microalloying elements such as Nb, Ti or V are present, the recrystallization can be further retarded by either solute drag or particle pinning. When recrystallization is completely retarded and strain is accumulated between passes, the austenite grains will be severely deformed, i.e. pancaking occurs. Pancaking of the grains provides larger amount of nucleation sites for ferrite grains upon transformation and hence a finer ferrite grain size is achieved. In this work a physically-based model has been used to describe the microstructural evolution of austenite. The model is built-up by several sub-models describing dislocation density evolution, recrystallization, grain growth and precipitation. It is based on dislocation density theory where the generated dislocations during deformation provide the driving force for recrystallization. In the model, subgrains act as nuclei for recrystallization and the condition for recrystallization to start is that the subgrains reach a critical size and configuration. The retarding effect due to elements in solution and as precipitated particles is accounted for in the model. To verify and validate the model axisymmetric compression tests combined with relaxation were modeled and the results were compared with experimental data. The precipitation sub-model was verified by the use of literature data. In addition, rolling in the hot strip mill was modeled using process data from the hot strip mill at SSAB Strip Products Division. The materials investigated were plain C-Mn steels and Nb microalloyed steels. The results from the model show good agreement with measured data. / QC 20100706

<p>Recrystallization kinetics, during and after hot deformation, has been investigated for decades. From these investigations several equations have been derived for describing it. The equations are often empirical or semi-empirical, i.e. they are derived for certain steel grades and are consequently only applicable to steel grades similar to these. To be able to describe the recrystallization kinetics for a variety of steel grades, more physically based models are necessary.</p><p>During rolling in hot strip mills, recrystallization enables the material to be deformed more easily and knowledge of the recrystallization kinetics is important in order to predict the required roll forces. SSAB Tunnplåt in Borlänge is a producer of low-carbon steel strips. In SSAB’s hot strip mill, rolling is conducted in a reversing roughing mill followed by a continuous finishing mill. In the reversing roughing mill the temperature is high and the inter-pass times are long. This allows for full recrystallization to occur during the inter-pass times. Due to the high temperature, the rather low strain rates and the large strains there is also a possibility for dynamic recrystallization to occur during deformation, which in turn leads to metadynamic recrystallization after deformation. In the finishing mill the temperature is lower and the inter-pass times are shorter. The lower temperature means slower recrystallization kinetics and the shorter inter-pass times could mean that there is not enough time for full recrystallization to occur. Hence, partial or no recrystallization occurs in the finishing mill, but the accumulated strain from pass to pass could lead to dynamic recrystallization and subsequently to metadynamic recrystallization.</p><p>In this work a newly developed physically based model has been used to describe the microstructural evolution of austenite. The model is based on dislocation theory where the generated dislocations during deformation provide the driving force for recrystallization. The model is built up by several submodels where the recrystallization model is one of them. The recrystallization model is based on the unified theory of continuous and discontinuous recovery, recrystallization and grain growth by Humphreys.</p><p>To verify and validate the model, rolling in the hot strip mill was modeled using process data from SSAB’s hot strip mill. In addition axisymmetric compression tests combined with relaxation was modeled using experimental results from tests conducted on a Gleeble 1500 thermomechanical simulator at Oulu University, Finland. The results show good agreement with measured data.</p>

Titanium and its alloys constitute an important class of materials for aerospace, biomedical, and chemical industries, primarily due to their high specific strength and fracture toughness with good corrosion resistance. Owing to their hexagonal crystal structure at room temperature, both microstructure and texture play a crucial role in the processing and hence the properties of titanium alloys. The basis for tailoring the microstructure and texture in titanium alloys centers around the transformation of high temperature β (body-centered cubic) to the low temperature α (hexagonal close packed) phase. One of the most widely used titanium alloy is Ti-6Al-4V, which exists as two phase (α+β) alloy at room temperature. The cast structure of the alloy Ti-6Al-4V is generally coarse and has strong solidification texture that leads to inferior properties. Recently, trace boron addition has been reported to produce substantial refinement in cast microstructure for Ti-6Al-4V. Significant improvements in some of the mechanical properties have been reported for the Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy in the as-cast condition. The reasons for microstructural refinement in the boron modified alloy and associated improvements in properties, however, needs to be investigated since the property attributes strongly depend on finer microstructural details including crystallographic texture. In addition, the titanium alloys are processed through thermo-mechanical treatments that involve deformation and annealing response of the alloy. The effect of boron modification on the processing response during thermo-mechanical treatments (TMP) has also not been studied. All these aspects shape the framework of the thesis, wherein microstructure and texture evolution is probed from starting cast condition through different stages of TMP. Micro-mechanisms are identified at every stage from the interrelation of these two intrinsic factors. In the first part of the study, the spatial variation of microstructure and texture in the cast ingot has been studied using SEM-EBSD technique. It has been found that trace boron addition (0.1 wt%) to Ti-6Al-4V alloy ensures excellent microstructural homogeneity throughout the cast ingot. A subdued thermal gradient due to constitutional undercooling persists during solidification and maintains equivalent β grain growth kinetics at different locations in the ingot. For Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy, both high temperature β and room temperature α phase textures weaken. The microstructural attributes of boron addition manifests as the absence of grain boundary α-phase and the presence of TiB particles. Both these features strongly affect the mechanism of β→α phase transformation and consequently weaken the α phase texture. The evolution of microstructure and texture during β-processing of Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy is examined in the second part of the work. Boron modified alloy shows the typical features of β worked microstructure with fine prior β grains, however without the formation of shear bands, which is generally observed in the microstructure of β worked Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The transformed α texture is almost same for the two alloys indicating similarity in the transformation behaviour of boron modified and boron free Ti-6Al-4V alloy due to complete dynamic recrystallization during β processing. The microstructural features as well as the crystallographic texture indicates dominant grain boundary sliding for the boron added alloy which leads to homogeneous deformation response without instability (shear band) formation. In the third part of the study, the deformation response in the (α+β) regime has been studied by carrying out hot compression tests at different temperature under constant true strain rate to simulate experimental processing conditions for the cast Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy. The critical combinations of temperature and strain rate suitable for processing are identified based on flow curves and kinetic analyses. Microstructural features display dynamic recovery of the α-phase at low temperatures and softening due to globularization and/or dynamic recrystallization at high temperatures irrespective of boron addition. The transition temperature for the two mechanisms is comparatively lower for boron added alloy. Unlike Ti-6Al-4V, no sign of instability formation has been observed in Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B. The absence of macroscopic instabilities and early initiation of softening mechanisms has been attributed to microstructural features and texture of boron modified alloy in the initial as-cast condition. In the fourth part, the large strain deformation response has been studied for the Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy by rolling in the (α+β) regime. Microstructure in near α rolling regime is characterized by a few kinked and bent α colonies while others are elongated along the rolling direction. Dynamic softening at higher temperatures is more dominant for the boron added alloy. Microstructural features are strongly orientation sensitive while relative differences are inherited from the starting cast alloys. Texture evolution, however, does not markedly vary for the two alloys and indicates little difference in the slip based deformation processes under plane strain condition. The influence of transformation texture appears early for the boron added alloy and affects the final texture in much stronger way at higher temperature. Subsequent to the (α+β) rolling, static annealing of warm rolled alloys has been carried out. A faster annealing kinetics for boron added alloy has been observed, which is related to deformation prior to annealing leading to additional diffusion pathways due to microstructural factors. Texture of the annealed material is similar to the deformed state for shorter annealing times but substantially modifies by epitaxial growth of primary α phase during long time annealing. The final part of the work deals with the deformation response of boron added alloy under superplastic conditions. Out of the two alloys with similar microstructure and texture, higher elongation for boron modified alloy is justified by the absence of slip based deformation and improved grain boundary sliding. Increase in α/β interfaces due to globularization during warm rolling and static annealing contribute to the grain boundary sliding. The outcomes of the thesis have been presented as a summary at the end and suggestions have been made indicating the scope for future investigations pertaining to this area.

<p><a>Low reflow temperature solder interconnect technology based on Sn-Bi alloys is currently being considered as an alternative for Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys to form solder interconnects at significantly lower melting temperatures than required for Sn-Ag-Cu alloys. </a></p> <p>A new low temperature interconnect technology based on Sn-Bi alloys is being considered for attaching Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder BGAs to circuit boards at temperatures significantly lower than for homogeneous SAC joints. Microstructure development studies of reflow and annealing, including Bi diffusion and precipitation, are important in understanding mechanical reliability and failures paths in the resulting heterogeneous joints. Experiments in several SAC-SnBi geometries revealed that Bi concentration profiles deviate from local equilibrium expected from the phase diagram, with much higher local concentrations and lower volume fractions of liquid than expected during short-time high temperature anneals in the two-phase region. As annealing time increased and Sn grain coarsening occurred, the compositions and fractions revert to the phase diagram, suggesting an “anti-Scheil” effect. A Bi interface segregation model based on Bi segregation at Sn grain boundaries was developed to explain the Bi distribution characteristics in Sn during two-phase annealing process. </p> <p>Besides hybrid joints, microstructural evolution after reflow and aging, especially of intermetallic compound (IMC) growth at solder/pad surface finish interfaces in homogeneous SnBi LTS joints, is also important to understanding fatigue life and crack paths in the solder joints. This study describes intermetallic growth in homogeneous solder joints of Sn-Bi eutectic alloy and Sn-Bi-Ag alloys formed with electroless nickel-immersion gold (ENIG) and Cu-organic surface protection (Cu-OSP) surface finishes. Experimental observations revealed that, during solid state annealing following reflow, the 50nm Au from the ENIG surface finish catalyzed rapid (Au,Ni)Sn₄ intermetallic growth at the Ni-solder interface in both Sn-Bi and Sn-Bi-Ag homogeneous joints, which led to significant solder joint embrittlement during fatigue testing. Further study found that the growth rate of (Au,Ni)Sn₄ intermetallic could be reduced by In and Sb alloying of SnBi solders and is totally eliminated with Cu addition. Fatigue testing revealed Au embrittlement is always present in solder joints without Cu, even with In and Sb additions due to (Au,Ni)Sn₄ formation. The fatigue reliability of Cu-containing alloys is better on ENIG due to the formation of (Ni,Cu,Au)₆Sn₅ at the solder-surface finish interface instead of (Au,Ni)Sn₄.</p> <p>With the development of SnBi LTSs, a new generation alloy called HRL1 stands out for its outstanding reliability during thermal cycling and drop shock testing. This study focused on microstructure evolution in SnBi eutectic, SnBiAg eutectic and HRL1 solders (MacDermid Alpha) homogeneous joints and hybrid joints with SAC305 formed with ENIG and Cu-OSP surface finishes. Experimental results revealed that with more microalloying elements, HRL1 has significantly refined microstructure and slower Sn grain growth rate during solid-state aging compared with SnBi and SnBiAg eutectic alloys. Intermetallic compound growth study showed that during solid state annealing following reflow, the (50nm) Au from the ENIG finish catalyzed rapid (Au,Ni)Sn₄ intermetallic growth at the Ni-solder interface in both Sn-Bi and Sn-Bi-Ag homogeneous joints, which led to significant solder joint embrittlement during creep and fatigue loading. However, (Au,Ni)Sn₄ growth and gold embrittlement was completely eliminated for HRL1 due to Cu additions in it, and HRL1 has significantly better fatigue reliability than SnBi and SnBiAg eutectic alloys on both OSP and ENIG surface finishes.</p>

Recrystallization kinetics, during and after hot deformation, has been investigated for decades. From these investigations several equations have been derived for describing it. The equations are often empirical or semi-empirical, i.e. they are derived for certain steel grades and are consequently only applicable to steel grades similar to these. To be able to describe the recrystallization kinetics for a variety of steel grades, more physically based models are necessary. During rolling in hot strip mills, recrystallization enables the material to be deformed more easily and knowledge of the recrystallization kinetics is important in order to predict the required roll forces. SSAB Tunnplåt in Borlänge is a producer of low-carbon steel strips. In SSAB’s hot strip mill, rolling is conducted in a reversing roughing mill followed by a continuous finishing mill. In the reversing roughing mill the temperature is high and the inter-pass times are long. This allows for full recrystallization to occur during the inter-pass times. Due to the high temperature, the rather low strain rates and the large strains there is also a possibility for dynamic recrystallization to occur during deformation, which in turn leads to metadynamic recrystallization after deformation. In the finishing mill the temperature is lower and the inter-pass times are shorter. The lower temperature means slower recrystallization kinetics and the shorter inter-pass times could mean that there is not enough time for full recrystallization to occur. Hence, partial or no recrystallization occurs in the finishing mill, but the accumulated strain from pass to pass could lead to dynamic recrystallization and subsequently to metadynamic recrystallization. In this work a newly developed physically based model has been used to describe the microstructural evolution of austenite. The model is based on dislocation theory where the generated dislocations during deformation provide the driving force for recrystallization. The model is built up by several submodels where the recrystallization model is one of them. The recrystallization model is based on the unified theory of continuous and discontinuous recovery, recrystallization and grain growth by Humphreys. To verify and validate the model, rolling in the hot strip mill was modeled using process data from SSAB’s hot strip mill. In addition axisymmetric compression tests combined with relaxation was modeled using experimental results from tests conducted on a Gleeble 1500 thermomechanical simulator at Oulu University, Finland. The results show good agreement with measured data. / QC 20101118

Medium Mn (med-Mn) third generation advanced high strength steels (3G AHSSs) are promising candidates for meeting automotive weight reduction requirements without compromising passenger safety. However, the thermal processing of these steels should be compatible with continuous galvanizing line (CGL) processing capabilities as it provides cost-effective, robust corrosion protection for autobody parts. Hence, the main objective of this Ph.D. research is to develop a CGL-compatible thermal processing route for a prototype 0.2C-6Mn-1.5Si-0.5Al-0.5Cr-xSn (wt%) (x = 0 and 0.05 wt%) med-Mn steel that will result in the 3G AHSS target mechanical properties (24,000 MPa%  UTS × TE  40,000 MPa%) and high-quality galvanized coatings via enhanced reactive wetting. It was found that the starting microstructure, intercritical annealing (IA) time/temperature, and Sn micro-alloying had a significant effect on the retained austenite volume fraction and stability and, thereby, the mechanical properties of the prototype med-Mn steel. For the as-received cold-rolled (CR) starting microstructure, the intercritical austenite nucleated and grew on dissolving carbide particles and resulted in blocky retained austenite. However, Sn micro-alloying significantly effected the intercritical austenite chemical stability by segregating to the carbide/matrix interface and retarding C partitioning to the intercritical austenite. This resulted in lower volume fractions of low stability retained austenite which transformed to martensite (via the TRIP effect) at low strains, thereby quickly exhausting the TRIP effect and resulting in a failure to sustain high work hardening rates and delay the onset of necking. Consequently, the Sn micro-alloyed CR starting microstructure was unsuccessful in achieving 3G AHSS target mechanical properties regardless of the IA parameters employed. Contrastingly, the CR starting microstructure without Sn micro-alloying was able to meet target 3G mechanical properties via intercritical annealing at 675 °C × 60 s and 120 s, and at 690 °C × 60 s owing to sufficiently rapid carbide dissolution and C/Mn partitioning into the intercritical austenite such that it had sufficient mechanical and chemical stability to sustain a gradual deformation-induced transformation to martensite and maintain high work hardening rates. On the other hand, the martensitic (M) starting microstructure produced higher volume fractions of chemically and mechanically stable lamellar retained austenite regardless of Sn micro-alloying. Intercritical annealing at 650 °C × 60 s and 675 °C × 60 s and 120 s produced 3G AHSS target mechanical properties. It was shown that the stable lamellar retained austenite transformed gradually during deformation. Furthermore, deformation-induced nano-twin formation in the retained austenite was observed, suggesting the TWIP effect being operational alongside the TRIP effect. As a result, a continuous supply of obstacles to dislocation motion was maintained during deformation, which aided in sustaining a high work hardening rate and resulted in a high strength/ductility balance, meeting 3G AHSS target properties. Based on these results, the martensitic starting microstructure without Sn micro-alloying and the M-675 °C × 120 s IA condition were chosen for the selective oxidation and reactive wetting studies. The selective oxidation study determined the effect of a N2-5H2-xH2O (vol%) process atmosphere pO2 (–30, –10, and +5 °C dew point (Tdp)) on the composition, morphology, and spatial distribution of the external and internal oxides formed during the austenitizing and subsequent intercritical annealing cycles. The objective of this study was to identify the process atmosphere for the promising M-675 °C × 120 s heat treatment that would result in a pre-immersion surface that could be successfully galvanized in a conventional galvanizing (GI) bath. The austenitizing heat treatment (775 °C × 600 s) used to produce the martensitic starting microstructure resulted in thick (~ 200 nm) external oxides comprising MnO, MnAl2O4, MnSiO3/Mn2SiO4, and MnCr2O4, regardless of the process atmosphere pO2. However, intermediate flash pickling was successful in dissolving the external oxides to a thickness of approximately 30 nm along with exposing metallic Fe in areas which contained relatively thin external oxides. Furthermore, extruded Fe nodules that were trapped under the external oxides were revealed during the flash pickling process. Overall, flash pickling resulted in a surface consisting of dispersed external oxide particles with exposed metallic substrate and extruded Fe nodules. This external surface remained unchanged during IA owing to the multi-micron (~ 2–8 µm) solute-depleted layer that formed during the austenitizing heat treatment. Subsequent galvanizing in a 0.2 wt% (dissolved) Al GI bath with an immersion time of 4 s at 460 °C was successful in achieving high-quality, adherent galvanized coatings through multiple reactive wetting mechanisms. The dispersed nodule-type external oxides along with exposed substrate and extruded Fe nodules on the pre-immersion surface facilitated direct wetting of the steel substrate and promoted the formation of a robust and continuous Fe2Al5Znx interfacial layer at the steel/coating interface. Additionally, oxide lift-off, oxide wetting, bath metal ingress, and aluminothermic reduction were operational during galvanizing. The galvanized med-Mn steels met 3G AHSS target mechanical properties. Overall, this Ph.D. research showed that it is possible to employ a CGL-compatible thermal processing route for med-Mn steels to successfully produce 3G AHSS target mechanical properties as well as robust galvanized coatings. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / One of the largest challenges associated with incorporating the next generation of advanced high strength steels into the automotive industry lies in processing these steels in existing industrial production lines. In that regard, a two-stage heat treatment with an intermediate flash pickling stage and process atmosphere compatible with existing industrial continuous galvanizing line technology was developed for a prototype medium-Mn steel. The heat-treated prototype steel met the target mechanical properties outlined for the next generation of advanced high strength steels. Furthermore, the heat treatment and process atmosphere utilised in this research produced a surface that facilitated the successful galvanizing of the prototype medium-Mn steel. This adherent and high-quality galvanized coating will provide robust corrosion protection if the candidate medium-Mn steel is used in future automotive structural applications.

No description available.

Constitutive behavior models for steels are typically semi-empirical, however recently neural network is also being used. Existing neural network models are highly complex with a large network structure i.e. the number of neurons and layers. Furthermore, the network structure is different for different grades of steel. In the present study a simple neural network structure, 3:4:1, is developed which models flow behavior better than other models available in literature. Using this neural network structure constitutive behavior of 8 steels: 4 carbon steels, V and V-Ti microalloyed steels, an austenitic stainless steel and a high speed steel could be modeled with reasonable accuracy. The stress-strain behavior for the vanadium microalloyed steel was obtained from hot compression tests carried out at 850-1150 C and 0.1-60 s-1. It is found that a better estimate of the constants in the semi-empirical model developed for this steel could be obtained by simultaneous nonlinear regression. A model that can predict the effect of chemical composition on the constitutive behavior would be industrially useful for e.g., in optimizing rolling schedules for new grades of steel. In the present study, a neural network model, 5:6:1, is developed which predicts the flow behavior for a range of carbon steels. It is found that the effect of manganese is best accounted for by taking Ceq=C+Mn/6 as one of the inputs of the network. Predictions from this model show that the effect of carbon on flow stress is nonlinear. The hot strip mill at Jindal Vijaynagar Steel Ltd., Toranagallu, Karnataka, India, was simulated for calculating the rolling loads, finish rolling temperature (FRT) and microstructure evolution. DEFORM-2d a commercial finite element package was used to simulate deformation and heat transfer in the rolling mill. The simulation was carried out for 18 strips of 2-4 mm thickness with compositions in the range and 0.025-0.139 %C. The rolling loads and FRT could be calculated within 15 % and 15 C respectively. Analysis based on the variation in the roll diameter, roll gap and the effect of roll flattening and temperature of the roll showed that an error of 6 % is inherent in the prediction of loads. Simulation results indicated that strain induced transformation to ferrite occurred in the finishing mill. The microstructure after rolling was validated against experimental data for ferrite microstructure and mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of steels with predominantly ferrite microstructures depend on the prior austenite grain size, strain retained before transformation and cooling rate on the run-out table. A parametric study based on experimental data available in literature showed that a variation in cooling rate by a factor of two on the run-out table gives rise to only a 20 MPa variation in the mechanical properties.

Dilute Mg alloys are exclusively identified for wrought structural applications in automotive industry. Any improvement in mechanical properties of alloys is possible only by grain size refinement and by the development of suitable texture. The grain size, grain size anisotropy and texture in these alloys affect the compatibility stresses in a very complex manner. To launch a full scale study towards understanding the complex deformation mechanisms operating in these alloys, it is necessary to understand the effect of grain size and texture on the mechanical behavior of Mg alloys in a broad or semi-quantitative manner first. Current literature lacks such broad study. In this present study, the effect of grain size, grain size anisotropy and texture evolution on the mechanical properties are examined in order to develop an understanding of the deformation mechanism that control the mechanical properties of a dilute conventionally extruded Mg alloy, AZ21. The approach adopted was to first study the microstructure and texture evolution in this conventionally extruded alloy. Since the grain sizes in these alloys vary over a wide range, it is hence necessary to study the microstructure evolution in a highly quantitative manner. In understanding texture, the present study is only limited to qualitatively evaluating the evolution of fibre component of texture using X-Ray Diffraction spectra. For truly quantitative microstructure evolution results in materials were grains sizes are spread over a wide range, it is critical to study a statistically enough no. of grains. Hence to avoid any sampling error, large montages (about 0.3 sq. mm) were constructed out of a series of high resolution images captured using an optical microscope. The montages so constructed are subjected to extensive image enhancement and various other operations are performed to convert these coloured to binary montages. Information like grain size, diameter etc., can be easily extracted from these binary montages and used for further analysis. Fibre texture in these conventionally extruded dilute Mg alloys generally develops due to alignment of basal planes along the direction of extrusion. The Critical Resolved Shear Stress for basal slip is very low when compared to that of non-basal planes. And also since there are very limited primary slip systems in these dilute Mg alloys, the development of strong fibre texture drastically changes the compatibility stresses and hence the mechanical properties . To broadly study the effect of microstructure-texture on mechanical proerties, after post extrusion annealing, heat treatments representing typical microstructure-texture combinations were identified. Effect of each microstructure-texture combination on the tensile and completely reversed cyclic fatigue properties are studied and qualitatively interpreted. The fibre texture showed pronounced effect on tensile ductility but it hardly affected the yield strength. With just 10% reduction in BPI, the ductility reduced by about 50%. A small change in average grain size did not alter the yield strength. Unlike tensile ductility, fatigue endurance stress was not altered drastically by the change in grain size or texture. But there appeared to be a significant effect of residual stress. In ending, a small change in microstructure-texture combination in these conventionally extruded alloys has a pronounced effect on ductility or in other words plastic properties. But a it has minimal effect on yield strength and fatigue endurance stress.