Deformation behaviour of an Al-6%Cu-0.4%Zr superplastic alloy containing a gradient of texture

The superplastic behaviour of a rolled Al-6%Cu-0.4%Zr alloy was studied at 480 °C at a strain rate of 5 × 10−4 s−1. The as-received material showed a gradient of texture through the thickness of the rolled sheet, i.e., a {3 1 1}〈2 3 3〉 component on the surface and a {6 3 1}〈1 1 3〉 component in the middle. During the early stages of superplastic deformation the intensity of the {3 1 1}〈2 3 3〉 component increases slightly whereas that of the {6 3 1}〈1 1 3〉 changes by a slip process. For larger strains, the global texture intensity decreases by a grain boundary sliding mechanism.