Rolling vs. drawing: Distinct effects on microstructure-property relationships in cold-deformed Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloy wires

The effects of two cold deformation methods, rolling and drawing, on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloy wires were investigated, with texture evolution and strengthening mechanisms analyzed. Under equivalent strain, wire rolling induced more pronounced work hardening, resulting in a higher degree of grain refinement (∼1.1 μm vs. ∼2.5 μm in drawing) while yielding a more homogeneous microstructure through dynamic recrystallization. Distinct texture evolution mechanisms were observed: rolled wires exhibited lower texture intensity with reduced β-fiber volume fraction and increased recrystallization texture components (P/R-Cube RD ), contrasting sharply with drawn wires, which showed intensified β-fiber and diminished P/R-Cube RD . Rolling textures demonstrate significant stochastic characteristics. After six passes, rolled wires achieved ∼10% higher tensile strength and ∼30% greater elongation than drawn counterparts.