Microstructural Evolution In As-cast Alloys during Plastic Deformation

Abstract: The effect of deformation on microstructural changes in metals and alloys is the subject of considerable practical interest. The ultimate goal is to control, improve and optimize the microstructure and texture of the finished products produced by metal forming operations. The development in the subject field is remarkable but a more in-depth study could lead us to the better understanding of the phenomena. In the present work microstructural evolution during the plastic deformation of as-cast pure metals and alloys is studied. An experimental method was developed to study the material behavior under the hot compression testing. This method was applied on the as-cast structure of copper, bearing steel, Incoloy 825 and β brass at different temperatures and strain rates. The temperature of the samples was measured during and after the deformation process. The microstructure of the samples was examined by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microstructural evolution during deformation process was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The samples were subsequently subjected to electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) to investigate the effect of the deformation on the microsegregation of Mo, Cr, Si, and Mn. It was observed that the temperature of the samples deformed at strain rates of 5 and 10 s-1 increases abruptly after the deformation stops. However, compression test at the lower strain rates of 1 and 0.5 s-1 revealed that a constant temperature was maintained in the early stage of deformation, followed by an increase until the maximum temperature was obtained. This temperature behavior can be explained by the microstructural evolution during the deformation process. Micrograph analysis revealed the formation of deformation bands (DBs) in highly strained regions. The DBs are highly effective sites for recrystallization. The interdendritic regions are suitable sites for the formation of DBs due to the high internal energy in these regions. EMPA indicated a tendency towards uphill diffusion of Mo in the DBs with increasing strain. The effect of strain on the dissolution of carbides in the band structure of bearing steel was investigated by measuring the volume fraction of carbides inside the band structure at different strain levels. The results indicate that carbide dissolution is influenced by strain.  The microstructural evolution inside the DBs was studied as a function of several properties: temperature, internal energy, and microsegregation. Compression of β brass revealed that twinning is the most prominent feature in the microstructure. EBSD analysis and energy calculations demonstrated that the twinning is not due to a martensitic process but rather the order/disorder transition during the deformation process. The effect of heat treatment at Tc (650°C) prior to deformation on the microstructure of β brass was also investigated, which revealed a relationship between twin formation and the anti-phase domain boundaries