Overview no. 96: Evolution of F.C.C. deformation structures in polyslip

The microstructural evolution during polyslip in f.c.c. metals in investigated by the examples of Al, Ni, NiCo alloys and an AlMg alloy, deformed at room temperature either by rolling or by torsion. The principles governing this evolution appears to be the following: (a) There are differences in the number and selection of simultaneously acting slip systems among neighboring volume elements of individual grains. In any one volume element (called a cell block), the number of slip systems falls short of that required for homogeneous (Taylor) deformation, but groups of neighboring cell blocks fulfil the Taylor criterion collectively. (b) The dislocations are trapped into low-energy dislocation structures in which neigboring dislocations mutually screen their stresses. The microstructural evolution at small strains progresses by the subdivision of grains into cell blocks delineated by dislocation boundaries. These boundaries accomodate the lattice misorientations, which result from glide on different slip system combinations in neighbouring cell blocks. The cell blocks are subdivided into ordinary cells and both cell blocks and cells shrink with increasing strain. All observations appear to be in good accord with the theoretical interpretation. However, some problems remain to be solved quantitatively.