AbstractExperiments have been carried out using two high strength commercial Al–Mg alloys (AA 5056 and AA 5083) with the aim of understanding the structural developments that occur in the deformation zone during rolling as a function of temperature and reduction per pass. From optical and transmission electron micrographs of samples taken from various locations of the deformation zone, it was found that stabilisation of the substructure is dependent on the exit temperature, pass reduction, and the individual grain orientation to the stress axis. The results of microscopy were supplemented by microhardness measurements along the length of the deformation zone, from which it was found that, even when plane strain conditions obtain (width/thickness>5 : 1), after deformation differing properties were exhibited by the plate edge compared with the plate centre.MST/908