Quantitative criterion for recrystallization nucleation in single-phase alloys:: Prediction of critical strains and incubation times

A simple physically based model is presented to describe the nucleation step of recrystallization in single-phase materials. The model is based on a nucleation criterion which captures the effects of subgrain growth and recovery on the competition between the capillary forces, which oppose the nucleation of recrystallization, and the stored energy, which drives recrystallization. The key quantities predicted by the model are the critical strain, the critical temperature, the incubation time and the nucleation rate for recrystallization. The key inputs needed in the model are the recovery kinetics and the effective subgrain boundary mobility. The model is successfully applied to describe the nucleation of recrystallization in oxygen-free Cu and Al-l% Mg. These two materials are taken to as representative of low and high stacking fault energy systems. (c) 2006 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.