The role of particle stimulated nucleation during recrystallization of an aluminum-manganese alloy

Abstract

Several recrystallization mechanisms are operative in strain hardening aluminum alloys. The contribution of each mechanism depends on the material and processing parameters such as prior processing history, amount of solute, deformation rate and temperature, and size and volume fraction of second phase particles. In order to quantitatively determine the extend of each of the different recrystallization mechanisms, a detailed three dimensional analysis of a cold deformed and recrystallized Al-Mn (Fe, Si) aluminum alloy was performed. This study showed that about 50% by volume of all recrystallized gains were formed by particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) and 20% of the newly formed grains are cube oriented and have mainly nucleated at pre-existing deformed cube grains. The remaining recrystallized grains are not cube-oriented, nor are they related to particles. They are expected to have nucleated at deformation inhomogeneities and old grain boundaries. (orig.)