Simulation of Rolling and Recrystallization Textures in Aluminium Alloy Sheets

Computer-based alloy and process development requires integration of models for simulating the evolution of microstructure, microchemistry and crystallographic texture into process models of the thermo-mechanical production of Al sheet. The present paper focuses on recent developments in linking softening modules that simulate the progress of recovery and recrystallization with the following texture changes to deformation and microchemistry models. The potential of such coupled simulations is illustrated by way of the thermo-mechanical processing of Al-Mn-Mg AA 3104 can stock. In particular, the impact of inter-stand recrystallization between the tandem hot rolling passes as well as recrystallization during coil cooling (“self-annealing”) on the resulting hot strip and final gauge textures are explored. Finally, the predicted textures are input into a polycrystal-plasticity approach to simulate anisotropic properties (earing behaviour) of the sheets. Thus, it is possible to link the materials properties at final gauge to the decisive steps of deformation and recrystallization along the thermo-mechanical process chain.