Abstract
A study of recrystallisation texture evolution was performed in an ageable Al–Mg–Si alloy to assess the sheet formability of autobody sheet before age hardening, by using quantitative orientation distribution function (ODF) determination during presolutionising anneal treatments. It was found that preannealing of cold rolled sheet near 250°C results in the largest amount of cube texture upon subsequent solutionising at 560°C. The apparent activation enthalpy is near 2˙5 eV if the iron solute content is below 0˙5 ppm atomic. The formation of cube oriented grains occurs below 300°C and grain growth above this temperature appears to be inhibited by iron solute drag of the grain boundaries. It was discovered that the volume fraction ratio of the cube and {02¯1} <100> is correlated to the average R value.