X-Ray Analysis of Fatigue Softening in Cold Worked Copper

Abstract

The recovery and recrystallization of cold rolled copper during reverse bending fatigue at room temperature has been studied with x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. Recovery of x-ray line breadth was recorded as a function of number of cycles at all strain amplitudes investigated. Recrystallization was observed to take place only at small strain amplitudes (life of 106 to 107 cycles). The rate of nucleation of the recrystallized grains increases with increasing strain amplitude and is a linear function of the number of cycles. The formation and growth of the grains was confined to regions near the surface of the specimen. Since comparable thermal recovery occurs at approximately 435°F it is concluded that the dynamic generation and migration of numerous point defects during fatigue is responsible for the room temperature recrystallization.