Modeling the kinetics of grain-boundary-nucleated recrystallization processes after cold deformation

A physical model to predict the recrystallization kinetics of single-phase polycrystalline metals, based on a single grain representation of deformed microstructure (characterized by a mean subgrain size and mean misorientation of subgrain boundaries), is presented. The model takes into account the grain geometry, the position, and the density of the nucleation sites. The selected geometry is a regular tetrakaidecahedron, combining topological features of a random Voronoi-distribution characteristic for polycrystalline material with the advantages of a single grain calculation. The model employs empirically determined relationships from existing literature to describe the deformed microstructure and, in so doing, facilitates the prediction of the recrystallization behavior when only the deformation strain and the recrystallization temperature are known. The boundary mobility and the driving force, as well as the nucleation density, are related to the true plastic strain of deformation through the microstructure. The model also describes the effects of concurrent recovery on the overall recrystallization kinetics.