ORDERING AND RECRYSTALLIZATION OF CUAU ALLOY AFTER COLD DEFORMATION

The evolution of the microstructure of cold-deformed CuAu alloy is ana lyzed as a function of temperature and annealing time. Different tempe rature ranges were determined where the behavior of the microstructure formation during ordering of the alloy differs. The influence of the typical lamellar structure of CuAu on recrystallization was studied. T ransmission electron micrographs suggest that a cooperative 'tandem-me chanism' involving ordering and dislocation resaturation operates and contributes to the formation of new grains. A comparison with other or dered alloys having the L1(0), L1(2) or B2 superstructure is conducted in the paper. The role played by the immobilization of dislocation ne tworks in retardation of recrystallization is also considered. (C) 199 7 Elsevier Science Ltd.