Quantification of softening kinetics in cold-rolled pure aluminum and copper using High-Temperature Scanning Indentation

The High-Temperature Scanning Indentation (HTSI) method enables the continuous monitoring of various mechanical properties, including Young's modulus, hardness, and creep properties, during specific thermal cycles. In this study, the HTSI method is applied to cold-rolled samples of commercially pure aluminum and oxygen-free high conductivity (OFHC) copper. The observed variations in hardness during heating are attributed to the underlying restoring mechanisms, namely static recovery and static recrystallization. Inverse analyses are performed using established metallurgical models of restoration. The results highlight the influence of the initial deformation state and heating rate on the kinetics parameters. The findings are further supported by Electron-Back Scattering Diffraction measurements. The study concludes by demonstrating the HTSI method's capability to quantify restoration parameters as a function of temperature through a limited number of well-designed HTSI experiments