Factors affecting the strength of P{011}aOE©566⟩-texture after annealing of a cold-rolled Al-Mn-Fe-Si alloy

Elongated coarse P{011}aOE (c) 566 >-oriented grains are frequently observed after annealing of cold-rolled Al-Mn alloys with a highly supersaturated solid solution level. In this study, important factors affecting the strength of the P-texture component after annealing of a cold-rolled Al-Mn-Fe-Si alloy have been systematically investigated and their influence has been documented. The strength of the P-texture component has been analysed in terms of orientation distribution functions, area fractions and number fractions of P-grains at different conditions using EBSD. The strength of the P-texture is very sensitive to the microchemistry state in terms of the amount of Mn in solid solution (potential for concurrent precipitation) and pre-existing second-phase particles (dispersoids). In conditions of a significant P-texture, decreasing annealing temperature and heating rate, as well as increasing the amount of deformation before annealing, promotes a strengthening of the P-texture component. Detailed analyses clearly show that the strong P-texture is either due to a growth advantage of P-oriented grains at lower annealing temperatures or due to their dominating number fraction at higher temperatures. The differences in terms of P-texture intensity are explained in view of the influence of second-phase particles (dispersoids) on the recrystallization nucleation and growth behaviour.