Effect of the hot-rolling microstructure on texture and surface roughening of Al-Mg-Si series aluminum alloy sheets

This study investigates the effect of microstructural changes induced by hot rolling on the formation of the texture in high-strength aluminum alloy sheets used in automotive applications. Fully (S2) and partially (S1) re-crystallized samples were fabricated by controlling the final hot-rolling temperature. Optical microscopy (OM) was used to observe the microstructure of the transverse direction (TD)-plane of the hot-rolled strips, and the electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique was used to evaluate the texture of the normal direction (ND)-plane of the finished sheets that were subjected to hot rolling, followed by cold rolling and a solid-solution heat treatment (SSHT). The grains in S1 showed a low-angle grain boundary, and the concentrations of Cube {001}〈100〉 and Goss {011}〈100〉 orientations were detected at different sheet thicknesses. In contrast, a randomized texture was observed in S2. On the basis of the above results, this paper discusses how the microstructure and texture achieved after hot rolling can influence the final microstructure, texture and surface roughening behavior.