Microstructure and strength of nickel at large strains Original Research Article

A quantitative microstructural analysis is presented for pure polycrystalline nickel (99.99%) cold rolled to reductions from 70 to 98% (εvM 1.4–4.5). Applying transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, key structural parameters, such as spacing between dislocation boundaries and high angle boundaries, as well as the misorientations across their boundaries, have been measured and analyzed. Application of scaling and similitude hypotheses to these microstructural parameters and their distributions revealed that the structures maintain a similar character with increasing strain. This similarity indicates that the measured parameters capture the important features of the structure. Scaling and similitude provide governing principles for structure formation. Based on this structural information and a detailed description of the morphology, structural parameters are identified, strength determining parameters chosen, and strength–structural relationships discussed. The suggestion is then made that two strengthening contributions should be considered: (i) dislocation strengthening due to the presence of low angle boundaries and (ii) grain boundary strengthening due to medium to high angle boundaries. The calculated individual strength contributions evolve differently with the strain and their addition leads to flow stress values and hardening rates in good agreement with those observed experimentally. No saturation of the calculated or experimental flow stress was observed.