On the Development of Copper Textures - Neutron Diffraction Control over a Period of 12 Years

The longtime stability of copper textures has been periodically monitored over 12 years by neutron diffraction pole figure measurements on a cold rolled and a partially recrystallized copper specimen, always using the same diffractometer and the same procedure of data analysis. The texture component fractions of 'rolled' copper suffered a continuous decrease over about 8 years and seem to reverse since then. The decrease is accompanied by recrystallization from initial 3 to 34 vol. % at present. Texture changes in the partially recrystallized specimen are less pronounced. In this sample, the fraction of random orientations changed from initially 11 % to 31 % over the about first six years and followed by a decrease to 24 % at present.