Grain structure and microtexture after high temperature deformation of an Al–Li (8090) alloy

The dynamic recrystallization of an aluminum–lithium (8090) alloy at high temperatures (380–570°C) at a strain rate of 0.8 s−1 was studied. The microstructure of the annealed sample fragmented during deformation at high temperature to form new small recrystallized grains. The stress versus strain curves showed stress oscillations. The texture of the annealed material at 440°C is defined by a rotated cube component. This component rotates toward a cube component in the course of deformation at 440 and 550°C. Microtexture determinations revealed that the annealed sample as well as the deformed samples showed a high amount of low-Σ, coincident site lattice misorientations, particularly Σ1. Annealed samples are characterized by Σ1, 5, 7, 9, 13, 21 and 29 boundaries whereas Σ1, 3 and 13 boundaries are characteristic of the deformed samples.