Annealing behavior of dilute aluminum-alloys following hot deformation

The microstructure and texture of three dilute aluminium alloys after hot deformation and annealing was assessed. In particular, the influence of deformation temperature, strain rate, and strain on the annealed texture was examined, as well as the effect of alloy composition. The microstructures of the commercially pure materials studied (Al, Al + 1%Mn and Al + 1%Mg) varied in the volume fraction of coarse intermetallic particles, the type of dispersoid present, and the level and type of solute in solid solution. Furthermore, the initial stages of recovery and recrystallisation were studied in detail for one of the alloys (commercially pure Al). It was found that the main recrystallisation texture component was the cube and its strength, as well as the recrystallised grain size, depended strongly on the deformation strain. The deformation strain rate and temperature, and the alloy composition also strongly influenced the grain size and cube texture strength. These results are discussed in the context of current theories for cube nucleation within cube bands in the hot deformed microstructure. The present work was carried out as part of a wider research programme, partially supported by the European Union (Brite/Euram funded), to develop micromechanical models to describe the evolution of microstructure and texture during hot deformation and annealing of aluminium alloys.