Texture control by thermomechanical processing of AA6xxx Al-Mg-Si sheet alloys for automotive applications -: a review

The properties of Al-alloys for car body applications are largely controlled by microstructure and crystallographic texture of the final sheets. In this paper, the impact of texture on formability and, in particular, on surface appearance of the sheets is reviewed. The paper summarizes the principles of microstructure and texture evolution during the main steps of the thermomechanical processing of age-hardenable Al-Mg-Si sheets (6xxx series alloys). The most important parameters that may be used to modify the textures and hence to improve the resulting properties are outlined. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.