Comparative Study on Primary Recrystallization of Metallic Materials Using Experimental and Numerical Simulations

Abstract

The phenomenon of primary recrystallization in metallic materials is a complex process that involves nucleation and growth of new grains from the deformed microstructure during post-deformation annealing heat treatment. In this study, we compare the experimental and numerical simulation results of primary recrystallization in metallic materials. The experimental tests were carried out on ARMCO iron samples extruded to 10, 20, and 30% of deformation degree and annealed at 973 K for 300 s. Microsections of the deformed and annealed specimens were analyzed using a metallographic microscope and Joyce–Loebl image analyzer. The numerical simulations were performed using a Monte Carlo algorithm to model the primary recrystallization of variable nucleation rate. On the basis of the classification given by Christian, four types of nucleation were simulated: site-saturated nucleation, constant nucleation rate, increasing nucleation rate, and decreasing nucleation rate, with different magnitudes of stored energy. Our results show that the decreasing nucleation rate model best fits the experimental data. The comparison between the experimental and numerical simulation results provides insights into the nucleation and growth of new grains during primary recrystallization in metallic materials.