Coupling of local texture and microstructure evolution during restoration processes in aluminum deformed to large strains

The coupling between local texture and microstructure is analyzed during restoration processes in aluminum cold-rolled to high and ultrahigh strains. The deformed microstructure is composed of lamellae with orientations of rolling texture components that occupy different volume fractions and vary in the spatial distribution. The individual lamellae are separated by low and high angle boundaries and significant local differences are produced in the deformed microstructure both in terms of the stored energy and boundary mobility. These differences influence recovery and recrystallization processes, resulting in significant local variations in mechanisms and kinetics of these processes. The observations suggest that the characterization of the local texture and microstructure both in the deformed state and after annealing is important in order to underpin the analysis of recovery and recrystallization on the sample scale. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.