Effect of strain rate and temperature on the compression behavior and dynamic recrystallization of AA3003-F aluminum alloy

Abstract

This study examined the thermomechanical response and microstructural evolution of AA3003 aluminum alloy in the as-fabricated F-temper during compression from room temperature to 550°C at strain rates ranging from 5 × 10 ^{− 5} s ^{− 1} to 5 × 10 ^{− 2} s ^{− 1}. The initially heterogeneously deformed microstructure of the F-temper alloy promoted recovery and recrystallization. For temperatures below 250°C, the flow curves exhibited moderate strain hardening followed by softening, whereas above 250°C, especially at low strain rates and near 350°C, the mechanical behavior was characterized by a stabilized flow stress and marked strain-rate sensitivity. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) revealed that continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), i.e., progressive subgrain rotation and boundary-misorientation increase leading to new grains, dominated at high strain rates, whereas a transition toward concurrent CDRX and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX), i.e., nucleation and growth of new strain-free grains, occurred at lower strain rates, with an estimated transition Zener–Hollomon value around Z ≈ 2.92 × 10⁹ s ^{− 1}. These findings provided valuable insight into the interplay between deformation parameters, dynamic softening mechanisms, and microstructural refinement in AA3003-F.