Texture Evolution of Hot Rolled Al–Cu–Mg–Zr Alloy During Annealing

Texture growth and relative mechanism of Al–Cu–Mg–(Zr) alloy during annealing have been investigated by three dimensional Orientation Distribution Functions (ODFs), Electron Back Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The results show that Zr addition in Al–Cu–Mg alloy restricts the preferable growth of recrystallized Goss grain, and fails to improve the total intensity of Goss texture. Recrystallized Goss is difficult to nucleate within Brass orientation even after full recrystallization, and Copper and S grains cannot preferably transform into Cube grains in Al–Cu–Mg–Zr alloy. Instead, the growth of random textures is favorable at the expense of deformed Brass, Copper and S textures. These phenomena can be well explained by relating to the disappearance of Σ5, Σ7 and Σ9 boundaries caused by Al₃Zr pinning dislocation. In addition, it is found that the Brass texture of Al–Cu–Mg–Zr alloy can be enhanced at specific annealing temperature, which is attributed to the formation of recrystallized Brass grains. Lastly, the deformed Goss of Al–Cu–Mg–Zr alloy is energy-unstable as compared with Brass during annealing, and these deformed Goss grains will subsequently evolve into recrystallized Brass or random orientations.