Modelling the flow behaviour, recrystallisation and crystallographic texture in hot deformed Fe-30wt%Ni austenite

The present work describes a hybrid modelling approach developed for predicting the flow behaviour, recrystallisation characteristics and crystallographic texture evolution in a Fe-30wt%Ni austenitic model alloy subjected to hot plane strain compression. A series of compression tests were performed at temperatures between 850 and 1050ºC and strain rates between 0.1 and 10 s-1. The evolution of grain structure, crystallographic texture and dislocation substructure was characterised in detail for a deformation temperature of 950ºC and strain rates of 0.1 and 10 s-1, using electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The hybrid modelling method utilises a combination of empirical, physically-based and neurofuzzy models. The flow stress is described as a function of the applied variables of strain rate and temperature using an empirical model. The recrystallisation behaviour is predicted from the measured microstructural state variables of internal dislocation density, subgrain size and misorientation between subgrains using a physically-based model. The texture evolution is modelled using artificial neural networks