Effect of annealing parameters on microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of hot-rolled pure yttrium plate

This study investigates the effects of different annealing parameters on the microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of hot-rolled pure yttrium plates using electron backscatter diffraction for the first time. With the increase of annealing temperature and time, the volume fraction of low-angle grain boundaries of hot-rolled pure yttrium plate decreases. While the intensity of the texture firstly decreases and then increases. During annealing at 600 °C, the {0002} pole density shifted from deviating from the normal direction (ND) by ~ 30° to being in line with the ND as the annealing time increased, forming a typical basal texture. This can be attributed to its unique recrystallization mechanism. The strength and hardness of the as-annealed samples were significantly lower than that under the hot-rolled state, while the elongation increased when compared with the hot-rolled sample. The considerable mechanical properties of pure yttrium plate are obtained by hot rolling and following annealing at 600 °C for 1 h.