Microstructural evolution in a non-cell forming metal: AlMg

Microstructural evolution in Al + 5.5 at.% Mg lightly deformed by rolling was studied using transmission electron microscopy. Observations show that the dislocations are organized into a Taylor lattice containing multiple burgers vectors and having alternating misorientations along {111} slip planes. These observations are in contrast to the usual description of these structures as “random” dislocation tangles. With increasing strain, a grain is subdivided into several domains of differently oriented Taylor lattices. The newly observed boundaries between different domains are long single dislocations walls formed along {111}. As a further evolutionary progression, the single walled domain boundaries develop into microbands. The observed grain subdivision parallels that observed in cell forming metals. Subdivision occurs to accommodate strain using fewer slip systems than required by the Taylor criterion.