Recrystallization Textures in an Iron–1·2% Copper Alloy

Textures have been determined in an iron–1·2 % copper alloy and in a reference material with copper at a low level after heavy cold-rolling reduction and annealing. The main process variable examined was the rate of heating to the annealing temperature. Interactions between precipitates, nuclei, and migrating grain boundaries resulted in a range of recrystallization textures in the Fe–Cu alloy from almost random after rapid heating to well-defined textures after slower heating rates. The most noticeable variation was in the amount of near-{100} orientation, which was very low in a simulated box anneal, but which was strong when the heating programme involved holding at a temperature high in the recovery range. The observed differences in recrystallization textures are ascribed to the heterogeneous precipitation of Cu and to different nucleation processes for near-{111} and near-{100}grains.