Deformed metals – structure, recrystallisation and strength

Abstract

It is shown how new discoveries and advanced experimental techniques in the last 25 years have led to paradigm shifts in the analysis of deformation and annealing structures of metals and in the way the strength of deformed samples is related to structural parameters. This is described in three sections: structural evolution by grain subdivision, recovery and recrystallisation and strength–structure relationships.

Keywords:

• Plastic deformation
• Recrystallisation
• Microstructural characterisation
• Dislocation structures
• Mechanical properties
• Review

The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Danish National Research Foundation and the National Science Foundation of China (grant no. 50911130230) for the Danish–Chinese Center for Nanometals, within which the present work was performed. The authors also thank K. Fugleberg, B. Ralph and Y. B. Zhang for their assistance with the manuscript.