Space resolved microstructural characteristics in the chip formation zone of orthogonal cut C45E steel samples characterized by diffraction experiments

Diffraction experiments with high energy synchrotron X-radiation were performed during orthogonal cutting of the steel C45E. The development of the microstructure was analysed by means of the evolution of integral X-ray peak intensities and FWHMs (Full Width at Half Maxima) at different measuring positions in the chip formation zone. Measuring positions were chosen around the primary and secondary shear zones and behind the cutting edge, to represent positions with a different degree of deformation. The results were compared to observations made from optical microscopy on the chip root samples. A strong change of the microstructure was observed during chip formation in dependence on the measuring position, namely a strong reduction of domain sizes and a reorientation which results in a bcc shear texture, which is described with the ideal textures (110)[001] and (112¯)[111]. The shear direction determined by optical microscopy could be brought into agreement with the shear direction observed in the 1 1 0 X-ray pole figure.