Characterization of the texture evolution during thermomechanical processing of an Fe–30 at% Al–6 at% Cr alloy

Texture and mesotexture analyses of samples obtained from an Fe–30 at% Al–6 at% Cr alloy during different steps of a thermomechanical processing route of hot and intercalated warm-rolling/isochronal annealing steps indicate a complex microstructural evolution depending on the strain and temperature paths that are taken. A strong 〈hkl〉 {111} fiber is obtained in warm-rolled samples, while almost random texture is obtained in recrystallized samples, independent of recrystallization temperature (20 min, 1073 K < T < 1372 K). The mesotexture of the recrystallized samples, however, shows the incidence of “clusters” of neighboring recrystallized grains with similar orientation, which are also present in the hot-rolled samples. Evidences are presented for the formation of these complex microstructures by a grain boundary rotation mechanism, at least for high temperature deformation conditions.