Preparation of materials for hydrogen saturation as a primary treatment involves its refinement. This allows improving the kinetic parameters of sorption / desorption of hydrogen by increasing the pro- portion of the specific surface of the sample. The efficiency of particle size reduction depends on the mechanical characteristics of the material.We studied the mechanical properties of samples of magnesium and magnesium alloys AZ31 and ZK60 before and after deformation with equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). It is shown that results in deformation of the ECAP are: anisotropy of mechanical properties appearance as well as increased strength, yield strength and modulus decrease. The possible mechanisms for the implemen- tation of microplastic deformation were discussed. It was shown that the ECAP deformation creates the texture in material which lead to anisotropy of mechanical properties.It was found that in the investigated materials, severe plastic deformation, as for example ECAP, is carried out mainly by sliding along the basal planes, which is typical for crystals with hexago- nal close packing with the ratio of the lattice parameters close to ideal (c / a ~ 1.63). The second contri- bution (in magnitude and significance) on the deformation is twinning. Calculation texture formed during ECAP deformation showed that in alloys based on magnesium twinning implemented on the {10-12} plants in the direction of shear <-1011>. This one prevents the occurrence in the deformation process involving other slip systems, namely, sliding on prismatic and pyramidal planes of the crystal lattice.The analysis of the deformation behavior of magnesium and its alloys can be used as the basis for creation of the technology of materials with ultra fine structure for hydrogen storage based on the reversible hydrides.

equal-channel angular pressing, magnesium alloys, the mechanical properties of the samples, the anisotropy of properties, microstructure, dislocation, twins.