Microstructure simulation of copper tube and its application in three roll planetary rolling

摘要

The three roll planetary rolling of copper tubes is a single pass and large deformation process. In the present paper, the temperature of the copper tube exceeds its recrystallisation temperature as a result of the heat energy generated from severe deformation and friction work. Therefore, the grain size and mechanical properties of the copper tube change fiercely. The constitutive equations of the copper tube were also derived and used as a material model. The dynamic recrystallisation and grain growth models of the copper tube were developed. The grain distribution rules of the copper tube were obtained by integrating the microstructure evolution model into finite element simulation. The grain sizes of the copper tube under different parameters were predicted by artificial neural network. It is in good agreement with the measured results, which can be used in optimising the properties of the rolled copper tube.