Relationship between texture and metal flow in 6xxx aluminum alloys

The Electron Backscattering Diffraction (EBSD) technique is used to analyze crystallographic grain orientation of deformed microstructures for 6xxx-alloy extrusions. In this investigation, compression testing is performed at various temperatures and strain rates using a thermal-mechanical simulator. EBSD creates a deformation map for compression, analyzing the different deformation zones present in the extrusion process. Metal flow research has also been applied to study the influence of different die designs on the surface texture of the extrudate. Microstructures from a profile that were formed from choke and parallel bearing lands were examined. The microtexture, texture measured from individual grains, can be correlated to the orientation changes that occur during compression testing.