Recovery, Recrystallization and Grain Growth
Recovery, Recrystallization and Grain Growth
Recovery, Recrystallization and Grain Growth
Lecture 4
❑ Point defects and dislocations have strain energy associated with them.
❑ (1 -10) % of the energy expended in plastic deformation typically is stored in the form of
strain energy (in these defects) → The material becomes battery of energy!
❑ The cold worked material is in a microstructurally metastable state.
❑ Depending on the severity of the cold work the dislocation density can increase 4-6 orders
of magnitude or more. The material becomes stronger, but less ductile.
▪ The cold worked material is stronger (harder), but is brittle.
▪ Heating the material (typically below 0.5 Tm) and holding for sufficient time is a heat treatment
process called annealing.
▪ Depending on the temperature of annealing, processes like Recovery (at lower temperatures) or
Recrystallization (at higher temperatures) may take place. During these processes the material tends
to go from a microstructurally metastable state to a lower energy state (towards a stable state).
▪ Further ‘annealing’ of the recrystallized material can lead to grain growth.
Low T
Recovery
Cold work Anneal
Recrystallization
High T
Overview of processes taking place during annealing of cold worked material and the driving
force for these processes
Region of lower
Region of higher dislocation density
dislocation density
Direction of grain
boundary migration
Recrystallization
• New grains are formed that:
-- have a small dislocation density
-- are small and equiaxed
-- consume cold-worked grains.
Often the range is further subdivided into Hot, Cold and Warm working as in the figure
Hot Work 0.9 Tm
0.8 Tm ▪ When a metal is hot worked, the conditions of deformation are such that the
sample is soft and ductile. The effects of strain hardening are negated by dynamic
0.7 Tm and static processes (which keep the sample ductile).
0.6 Tm ▪ The lower limit of temperature for hot working is taken as 0.6 Tm.
Warm 0.5 Tm
working 0.4 Tm Recrystallization temperature (~ 0.4 Tm)
0.3 Tm
0.2 Tm
▪ The effects of strain hardening is not negated. Recovery mechanisms
Cold Work
JUMP
Bonded to
4 atoms
G1 G2
Grain growth
0.6 mm 0.6 mm
• Empirical Relation
grain diameter at time t is given by :
dn − dno = Kt
After 8 s, After 15 min, grain growth parameters ‘n’ and K
580C 580C constant for material
Grain growth in cold worked brass
Adapted from Fig. 7.19
(d),(e), Callister 6e.
Electrical conductivity
Internal stress
Tensile strength
Ductility