Simulations of deformation and recrystallization of single crystals of aluminium containing hard particles

The deformation of a single crystal of aluminium in the Goss orientation {011}〈100〉 containing a coarse particle of silicon was modelled by using a finite-element (FE) code based on the crystal plasticity approach. The simulations clearly captured the heterogeneous deformation of the aluminium matrix, resulting in a region of high deformation in the vicinity of the hard particle, surrounded by a region where the amount of deformation was significantly lower. The evolution of the corresponding deformation substructure during annealing was simulated using a Monte Carlo technique. The simulations clearly demonstrated the discontinuous evolution of the subgrains in the deformation zone to form recrystallization nuclei around the hard particle, and the subsequent growth of these nuclei to consume the matrix region around the particle. For plane strain compression up to ε_zz = -0.4 that was used in this study, the deformation texture components near the particle consisted of rotations up to 20° from the initial Goss orientation about the transverse direction. Recrystallization simulations captured the formation and growth of nuclei from the deformation heterogeneities existing near the hard particle and predicted a significant strengthening of the orientations present in the particle deformation zone. The simulation results are shown to capture many of the experimentally observed features of deformation and recrystallization textures in aluminium single crystals containing coarse particles of silicon.