Texture Evolution as Determined by In situ Neutron Diffraction During Annealing of Iron Deformed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing

In situ neutron diffraction experiments were performed to follow the annealing behavior of iron deformed by equal-channel angular pressing at room temperature using route B (c) to a total von Mises strain of epsilon (vM) = 9.2. The temperature was varied from room temperature to 1223 K (950 A degrees C), while neutron diffraction data for quantitative texture analysis were collected at a given temperature when holding for 5 minutes. Pole figures and orientation distribution function maps from neutron diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction measurements were used to follow the changes in crystallographic texture and grain size during annealing. In situ neutron diffraction experiments allowed understanding and identifying texture-related changes that occur during recrystallization, grain growth, and phase transformation in iron.