A microtexture based analysis of the surface roughening behaviour of an aluminium alloy during tensile deformation

The development of surface roughening during uniaxial tensile deformation, with particular attention to the development of parallel ridges and valleys (ribbed profile), has been investigated for a commercial aluminium alloy. A comparison has been made between two samples which exhibit different prop ensities for roughening and a detailed microstructural characterisation of these samples has been performed in order to explain the differences. Micro structural characterisation techniques included polarised light microscopy, bulk texture and microtexture. In addition, yield properties were calculat ed from the microtexture data using polycrystal plasticity analysis. The re sults show that the differences in the roughening behaviour can be attribut ed to spatial differences in texture at the specimen surface whereby R-comp onent colonies in a cube matrix produce differential straining, which event ually leads to strain localisation through the specimen thickness to produc e a ribbed profile. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.