Evolution of the Brass texture in an Al-Cu-Mg alloy during hot rolling

Texture and microstructure development of Al-4Cu-1.6Mg alloy during hot rolling was examined by using XRD, EBSD and TEM. The results showed that starting with a random texture during the early stages of rolling with reduction lower than 58.9% at blooming temperature of 430 °C, the materials developed a typical α-fiber texture in the center layer as deformation reduction reached 75.7%. And then the α-fiber textures in the center layer rotated into Brass component mainly through the activity of {111}<110> slip system as the reduction reached 96.3%. Different from the center textures, the main texture in the surface layer was r-Cube with 96.3% reduction. The increase in rolling temperature was beneficial for the enhanced texture intensity of Brass component in the center layer. The analysis of substructure energy density indicated that Brass subgrain had a lower substructural energy density than other oriented subgrains, which together with increased slip rate at elevated temperature, contributed to the development of center Brass texture.