Revealing the role of residual stresses in recrystallization with diffraction imaging

Recrystallization plays a pivotal role in the heat treatment of metals. Contrary to common knowledge, significant residual stresses have been observed within individual recrystallizing grains, even in single phase metals. Our proposal aims to comprehensively explore the mechanisms and implications of these residual stresses utilizing dark field X-ray microscopy (DFXM). We plan to map localized residual stresses in cold-rolled pure iron samples subjected to varied strains. DFXM will provide insights into grain orientation and elastic strain variations both within selected recrystallizing grains and in their surrounding deformed matrix. Furthermore, our research will incorporate DFXM annealing studies, enabling us to monitor the evolution of these metrics and assess their impact on local boundary migration. This study promises to offer significant insights into recrystallization phenomena, shedding light on non-uniform nucleation and shear-coupled motion of recrystallization boundaries.