Cube texture in A3004 alloy sheet processed by partial annealing and light rolling method

Formation of cube texture by two step process of partial annealing and rolling of small reduction was investigated by optical metallography and X-ray pole figure measurements. Hot rolled sheet with 3.5 mm thickness was cold rolled to 90% reduction and annealed at 300 degrees C to various partially softened states. Subsequently, cold rolled and annealed sheets were lightly rolled up to 20 % reduction and annealed at 350 degrees C for 1 h. Cube texture was sharper than that obtained without partial annealing and light rolling. In addition to the first step of partial annealing and small reduction, the second process of partial annealing at 300 degrees C for 64 min and light rolling to 10 % was conducted, resulting in formation of sharper cube texture than that obtained by the first step process. Then was tendency in the cube grains to grow to large size, being elongated to rolling direction with orientational spread around rolling direction.