Effect of grain size in compression deformation on the microstructural evolution of an austenitic stainless steel

► Increasing the starting grain size retards the dynamic recrystallization process. ► Forming compatibility is achieved by grain fragmentation in coarser structures. ► The stored GND density increases for smaller starting grain sizes. ► Nucleation process of new grains is driven by the stored deformation energy. ► Cast structured state promotes dynamic recovery as softening mechanism.