Microtexture and anisotropy in wire drawn copper

In many processing operations, it is critical to know the relationship between the resultant sample geometry and the distribution of crystallographic or grain orientations within the polycrystalline aggregates. The spatial variations in crystallographic texture associated with different parts of the sample geometry can influence differences in the plastic response within different regions of a sample. In this paper we present a study of such local variations in the texture (microtexture) as well as grain boundary or mesotexture associated with copper wire and its implications for micromechanical inhomogeneity within a sample volume. The unique experimental and analytical aspects of such microtexture characterization are discussed along with the issues of grain boundary structural parameters and its role in microtexture and anisotropy. The presence of differences in twin frequency in different regions of the sample is suggested as a possible source of strength anisotropy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.