Effect of stress-relief annealing on rolled texture of nickel-based alloys

In this study, the effects of stress-relief annealing (SRA) on the rolled texture of nickel-based alloys were extensively analysed. Biaxially textured Ni–W alloy substrates with strong cube textures were fabricated by cold rolling and recrystallisation annealing for coated conductor applications. The results indicate that the evolution of the rolled texture, and hence the annealed cube texture, were greatly influenced by the stress-induced by deformation. The stress and rolled texture were found to be significantly correlated. X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction analyses were used to explore the effect of SRA on the cold-rolled microstructure. The stress distribution was found to be associated with the copper texture. The addition of SRA effectively eliminated stress and strengthened the copper and S textures, thereby facilitating the formation of the final annealed cube texture. Finally, the mechanism by which stress influences the rolled texture of nickel-based alloys was elaborated in detail.