Microstructure, texture and recrystallization of heavily rolled CoCrFeNi medium entropy alloy

The microstructure and texture have been characterized in a CoCrFeNi medium entropy alloy after cold rolling to 85% and subsequent annealing at 550°C for 130 min. It is observed that the as-rolled microstructure is heterogeneous and comprises extended regions of either 〈110〉//ND or 〈111〉//ND orientations and volumes of mixed orientations. The microstructure also contains a large number of shear bands acting as preferential nucleation sites for recrystallization during annealing. Recrystallization generates annealing twins, which results in new components along the 〈110〉//ND fiber and other new orientations, thus making the texture of recrystallized regions fairly weak. Orientations demonstrating increased intensities in the recrystallization texture are identified as {113}〈332〉 and {236}〈385〉 components.