Microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of AA1060 aluminum plate processed by snake rolling.

Snake rolling is a relatively new asymmetrical rolling technique that employs horizontally-displaced rolls with different peripheral speeds. In this study, an AA1060 aluminum plate has been subjected to single-pass snake rolling to investigate the effect of asymmetric boundary conditions on bending behavior under different thickness reductions. Microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of a flat plate processed by snake rolling to a 50% thickness reduction are compared with those in conventional rolling. The results indicate that snake rolling leads to a more uniform through-thickness distribution of shear strain and a more significant texture change than conventional rolling. Meanwhile, the differences in the average grain size and in the resulting mechanical properties between the two rolled plates fall within experimental errors. It is concluded that the snake rolling technique is effective in reducing the plate curvature by adjusting the offset distance and speed ratio of the working rolls. The advantage of snake rolling in improving mechanical properties is insignificant, at least at the level of thickness reduction examined in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]