Statistical characteristics of grain boundary ensembles in variously textured copper

Microtextures, misorientation distributions and orientation correlations were investigated in weakly and strongly textured states obtained during recrystallization and grain growth of pure copper. A predominance of Σ3n(n≥1) boundaries was found in the condition with weak texture, while mainly low-angle and Σ 3 boundaries were observed in the strongly textured state.

The influence of texture on the microstructure and misorientation distribution is discussed. The misorientation distribution of nearest neighbours in face centred cubic materials prone to annealing twinning is influenced by the“matrix–twin” orientation correlation. Such a correlation is prominent in copper with a weak texture.

The influence of this orientation correlation is significantly reduced in the presence of a strong texture. In strongly textured copper, Σ 3 boundaries can be divided into two groups: true twin boundaries, i.e. boundaries between a twin and its matrix, and boundaries between a twin and its non-matrix neighbour with an orientation close to the matrix grain.

These two groups are characterized by different morphologies of Σ 3 boundaries and different deviations from the exact twin relationship.