Macro-, micro- and mesotexture evolutions of continuous cast and direct chill cast AA 3105 aluminum alloy during cold rolling

Industrially produced hot bands of continuous cast (CC) and direct chill (DC) cast AA 3105 aluminum alloy were cold rolled to different reductions from 10 to 90%. Macrotexture evolution of the deformation texture in the CC and DC materials was investigated by using three-dimensional orientation distribution functions (ODFs) that were determined by X-ray diffraction. The electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique was adopted to investigate micro- and mesotexture during the early stages of cold rolling (less than or equal to 40%). Results showed that the macrotexture evolution for CC and DC materials during cold rolling follows the same path. a and P fibers become developed beyond 50% cold rolling in both CC and DC materials. The highest intensity along the P fiber (skeleton line) is located between the Copper and the S orientations in both materials. There exists a path by which Cube orientation (0 0 1)[1 0 0] transforms to the Brass orientation (0 1 1)[2 (1) over bar 1] through the Cube(ND) orientation (0 0 1)[1 (1) over bar 0] after certain cold rolling reductions. In both CC and DC materials, a cell structure develops with the indication of increasing coincidence site lattice (CSL) Sigma1 boundaries during the early stages of cold rolling while high-angle boundaries (HABs) are randomized over the misorientation angle. There is no evidence for the development of twin boundaries in both CC and DC materials when the cold rolling reduction is less than 40%. Cold rolling texture itself is not responsible for the different recrystallization behaviors that cause different earing behaviors between CC and DC aluminum alloys. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.