Creating a partially recrystallized microstructure by annealing is a possible strategy to increase the ductility of a heavily deformed metal. In this work, cold-rolled copper was used as a model material to investigate the effect of partial recrystallization on mechanical properties. The microstructural evolution and recrystallization kinetics during isothermal annealing were investigated by electron backscatter diffraction. The mechanical properties of the partially recrystallized samples were measured by tensile testing. For understanding the dependence of the mechanical properties on the recrystallized volume fraction, an analytical model was applied, which assumes that deformation is uniform throughout the polycrystalline aggregate. The modelling and experimental results are compared, and applications and limits of the model are discussed.
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