Modelling microstructural evolution during annealing

The modelling of the processes which occur when deformed metals are subsequently annealed is discussed. The paper highlights the need to model over a range of length scales so as to both include the atomistic mechanisms which are occurring and also to account for the evolution of the overall microstructure and texture. The various approaches to modelling the fundamental annealing mechanisms are discussed in detail and the ways in which these can be incorporated into larger-scale models are considered. The inclusion of a realistic deformation structure as a starting point for the modelling of annealing is emphasized, and the use far this purpose of microstructures generated by finite element methods is discussed.