Surface Texture Modification for Improved Roping Behaviour of Aluminium Alloy 6016

Abstract

Abstract. The effect of two different intermediate annealing (IA) treatments on texture banding in a roping prone aluminium alloy was investigated. It was found that texture banding occurred in the final annealed material that underwent an IA treatment consisting of slow heating in which there was significant interaction between the recrystallizing grains and the particles in the material. A more uniform distribution of orientations in the final annealed material was obtained in the case of an IA treatment with fast heating so that there was no significant effect of particles on recrystallization. IntroductionIt is well established that the 6XXX series aluminium alloys, which are used in automotive applications are prone to roping [1][2][3][4]. Various publications have shown that there is a correlation between the occurrence of roping and the spatial distribution of specific crystallographic orientations [1][2][3][4]. In addition, it appears that the roping tendency of a material is connected with the precipitation state [5]. This is possible since the precipitation state can influence the recrystallization texture of the material. For example, Engler and Hirsch [6] investigated the recrystallization texture and plastic anisotropy in Al-Mg-Si sheet alloys [6], and reported different intensities of the {100}<001> Cube component in the final recrystallised textures in materials which had different dispersoid (particles dispersed in the material) densities. The Cube intensity was higher in the material that had a significant density of dispersoids compared to the case with a considerably lower fraction (of dispersoids) [6]. It was assumed that particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) was retarded by the dispersoids but Cube grains were still able to successfully nucleate at Cube bands [6]. Since particles can affect the final recrystallization texture formed in a material, it is conceivable that they can have some effect on the spatial distribution of crystallographic grains in these materials. As such, this paper explores the connection between particles and the eventual spatial distribution of Cube grains in a 6016 Al alloy.

Influence of Fe and Mn on the Microstructure Formation in 5xxx Alloys—Part II: Evolution of Grain Size and Texture

“…The number density and distribution of primary and secondary phases can further weaken the Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) effect in those alloys [70,71]. Moreover, the PSN components can effectively suppress Cube banding in 6xxx alloys, therefore reducing the probability of the undesired roping phenomenon [6,66,72].…”