Effect of strain path on recrystallisation kinetics during hot rolling of Al-Mn

Hot rolling of an aluminium - 1% manganese alloy has been carried out. Wedg e shaped specimens were rolled in two pass schedules, of either two forward passes or a forward and a reverse pass to the same overall net strain. Thr ough thickness marker pins were inserted to allow the investigation of plas tic flow during the different rolling schedules. The reversed rolling techn ique allowed the determination of the effect of a strain path change on the recrystallisation kinetics during hot rolling. Following subsequent anneal ing, quantitative metallography indicated that the forward forward specimen s showed faster recrystallisation kinetics than the forward-reverse specime ns, and produced a finer recrystallised grain size following equivalent the rmomechanical treatments differing only in strain path. A through thickness microstructural gradient was found in all materials.