Modeling of Grain-Boundary Mobility and Nucleation Rate during Discontinuous Dynamic Recrystallization in Ni-Nb Alloys and a High-Purity Alloy Derived from SAE 304L

Abstract

A simple mesoscale model has been developed for discontinuous dynamic recrystallization. Each grain is considered in turn as an inclusion, embedded in a homogeneous equivalent matrix, the properties of which are obtained by averaging over all the grains. The model includes: (i) a grain-boundary migration-equation driving the evolution of grain size via the mobility of grain boundaries, which is coupled with (ii) a single-internal-variable (dislocation density) constitutive model for strain hardening and dynamic recovery, and (iii) a nucleation equation governing the total number of grains by the nucleation of new grains. All the system variables tend to asymptotic values at large strains, in agreement with the experimentally observed steady-state regime.With some assumptions, both steady-state stress and grain-size are derived in closed forms, allowing immediate identification of the mobility of grain boundaries and the rate of nucleation. An application to Ni–Nb-pure-binary model alloys and high-purity 304L stainless steel with Nb addition is presented. More specifically on one hand, from experimental steady-state stresses and grain sizes, variations of the grain boundary mobility and the nucleation rate with niobium content are addressed in order to quantify the solute-drag effect of niobium in nickel. And on the other hand, the Derby exponents were investigated varying separately the strain rate or the temperature.