Modelling of Texture Evolution and Grain Refinement on Complex SPD Paths

A computationally efficient procedure for modelling of microstructural changes on complex and spatially nonuniform deformation paths of severe plastic deformation (SPD) is presented. The analysis follows a two-step procedure. In the first step, motivated by saturation of material hardening at large accumulated strains, the steady-state kinematics of the process is generated for a non-hardening viscoplastic model by using the standard finite element method for a specified SPD scheme. In the second step, microstructural changes are investigated along the deformation-gradient trajectories determined in the first step for different initial locations of a material element. The aim of this study is to predict texture evolution and grain refinement in a non-conventional process of cold extrusion assisted by cyclic rotation of the die, called KOBO process, which leads to an ultra-fine grain structure. The texture evolution is calculated for fcc and hcp metals by applying crystal visco-plasticity combined with the self-consistent scale transition scheme. In parallel, by applying the simplified phenomenological model of microstructure evolution along the trajectories, grain refinement is modelled. The results are compared with available experimental data.