In-situ observations of nucleation in Al-0.1Mg

A tensile sample of an Al-0.1Mg alloy was in-situ tested in a SEM followed by in-situ annealing to develop recrystallizing nuclei/grains. The evolution of microstructure and crystallographic orientations were characterized using the EBSD technique. Changes in the same area within the sample during deformation and annealing steps were closely followed. During the deformation process the original grains remained recognizable, but became elongated and developed sub-structures. Over the annealing process nuclei with old and new orientations develop at high angle grain boundaries as well as at interior regions with large orientation spreads. Recrystallization twinning was also observed to occur in this Al alloy sample. Furthermore, some localized grain growth during the recrystallization was observed.