Microstructure, Texture and Recrystallisation Mechanisms of an Al-20%Sn Deformation Processed Metal-Metal Composite

Abstract

Al-Sn alloys for tribological applications are industrially important alloys which have attracted little attention over their history. Being cold rolled directly from thin cast slabs and consisting of two ductile phases, their processing and physical behaviour are distinct from classical Al-Alloys. During cold rolling, the coarse-grained, random texture of the slab is transformed into the classical rolling texture of a fine-grained Al-alloy, with elongated Al-grains delimited by thin Sn-ribbons. During annealing at 300°C, the interior of the Al-grains recrystallises rapidly while the liquid Sn-phase migrates toward Al-grain triple lines to form a reticular structure. A weak texture, dominated by Goss and P is produced. Grain growth within the original cold-rolled grains is fast, but once the recrystallised grain size reaches the length scale of the second-phase distribution, it slows down and both phases coarsen simultaneously, accompanied by a significant texture change.