EBSD analysis of AA2055 Al-Cu-Li alloy after quenching and low-reduction rolling

Abstract

This work investigates the effect of small (5 and 10%) cold rolling reductions on the microstructure, crystallographic texture, and hardness of a solution-treated Al-Cu-Li alloy (AA2055). It was found that deformation initiates the intensive accumulation of crystal defects and the formation of a uniform, dense dislocation substructure. This is confirmed by a sharp increase in the density of geometrically necessary boundaries (GNBs) and a significant rise in hardness in the as-rolled conditions. It is shown that deformation intensifies the β-fiber texture components and suppresses recrystallization orientations. The obtained results demonstrate a clear quantitative correlation between the thermomechanical processing parameters, the evolution of the substructure, and the distribution of geometrically necessary dislocations. This provides a scientific basis for optimizing the aging kinetics and achieving an optimal balance of mechanical properties in the AA2055 alloy.