Coupled finite element-Monte Carlo simulation of microstructure and texture evolution during thermomechanical processing

Abstract

A novel simulation technique for predicting the microstructure and texture evolution during thermomechanical processing is presented. The technique involves coupling a finite element microstructural deformation model based on crystal plasticity with a Monte Carlo simulation of recovery and recrystallization. The finite element model captures the stored energy and the crystallographic orientation distributions in the deformed microstructure. The Monte Carlo simulation captures the microstructural evolution associated with recovery and recrystallization. A unique feature of the Monte Carlo simulation is that it treats recrystallization as a heterogeneous subgrain growth process, thus providing the natural link between nucleation and growth phenomena, and quantifying the role of recovery in these phenomena. Different nucleation mechanisms based on heterogeneous subgrain growth as well as strain induced boundary migration are automatically included in the recrystallization simulation. The simulations are shown to account for the extent of prior deformation on the microstructure and kinetics of recrystallization during subsequent annealing. The simulations also capture the influence of the presence of cube orientations in the initial microstructure, and the operation of non-octahedral slip during deformation of fcc polycrystals, on the recrystallization texture.

Modeling of nucleation during recrystallization

“…The above mechanism of cube formation is similar to the one suggested by Dillamore and Katoh [8]. Simulation of cube formation from remnant cube orientations in the deformed grain structure is reported elsewhere [4].…”

“…The MC technique [4] is used for simulating the discontinuous growth of a deformation induced high angle boundary embedded in a subgrain network or the discontinuous growth of subgrains induced by an orientation gradient [4]. In this technique, a subgrain network containing one of the above features is mapped to a regular grid of points.…”

“…Hence, in order to realistically capture the kinetic, microstructural and textural effects during recrystallization, it is necessary to develop recrystallization models which are closely coupled to microstructural deformation models that can provide a quantitative description of the cold worked state. One such model has recently been developed by coupling a finite element (FE) simulation of microstructural deformation based on crystal plasticity with a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation of subgrain growth [4].…”

“…The objectives of this paper are to simulate, (i) discontinuous growth triggered by individual substructural features such as deformation induced high-angle boundary and subgrain orientation gradient described above, (ii) the effect of the above substructural parameters on the growth kinetics, and (iii) the combined operation of several such discontinuous growth fronts during the recrystallization of a realistic deformation substructure through the coupled FE-MC model [4]. The simulations are used to illustrate the effect of prior deformation on the recrystallization kinetics, texture, grain size and grain size distribution.…”

A microstructure evolution visualization method based on neutrosophic set theory and cellular automaton technique

“…The microstructure evolution in the welding procedure is a very complex physical process [3]- [5]. Many kinetics factors have to be taken into account including temperature, solute concentration, and time and so on.…”