Hot rolling textures of Al-Cu-Li and Al-Zn-Mg-Cu aeronautical alloys: Experiments and simulations to high strains

The development of hot rolling textures, and particularly the Brass {1 1 0} <1 1 2> component, of two typical aeronautical alloys: Al-Cu-Li AA2050 and Al-Zn-Mg-Cu AA7050, has been investigated by EBSD and X-ray diffraction measurements after plane strain compression tests and industrial hot rolling. Systematic hot channel-die compression tests were performed to strains of 2.7 at 420-450 degrees C, on both as-homogenized alloys. Under the same processing conditions, the two alloys develop the same rolling textures showing that the presence of Li is not intrinsically responsible for the development of strong Brass components. However, it is shown, by further channel-die compression tests between 350 and 500 degrees C and up to strains of 3.9, that the deformation temperature can have a major influence: with increasing temperature {1 1 0} <1 1 2> orientations are strongly favoured at the expense of the Copper {1 1 2} <1 1 1> component. Numerical simulations demonstrate that previous and current experimental observations of the influence of temperature on texture development can be explained by increasing slip on non-octahedral slip systems. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.