Deformation and annealing textures of drawn Al-Mg-Si alloy tubes

The deformation and annealing textures in drawn Al-Mg-Si alloy tubes were investigated by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electron back-scattering diffraction (EBSD). As-received tubes, drawn at a thickness/diameter strain ratio of 3, had the (1 1 0)(0 0 1) and (1 1 2)(1 1 1) textures as their main components, which are also measured in the rolled sheet. During annealing, precipitation took place on grain boundaries and dislocations before recrystallization was completed. As the annealing temperature increased, the deformation texture was weakened and randomization of the orientation distribution progressed with the weak (1 0 0) (0 0 1) component. After annealing at 600 degreesC for 20 h, the grains with (1 0 0) orientation parallel to the radial direction grew abnormally. The annealing textures are related to precipitation and abnormal grain growth. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.