Nucleation and microtexture development under dynamic recrystallization of copper

Microstructure and microtexture evolution during dynamic recrystallization (DRX) was investigated in compression of (3)s (1) to 10 (1)s(-1). A polycrystalline copper in the temperature range from 473 K to 723 K and at strain rates from <101> compression texture of near <101> direction, evolved by low temperature deformation, is gradually weakened and randomized by the progress of DRX at higher temperature, where <101> component still exists. New DRX grains are evolved by the operation of bulging of serrated grain boundaries, which is accompanied either by rotation of a bulged portion or twinning at the back of the migrating boundary. The mechanisms of dynamic nucleation and necklace DRX are discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.