The synthesis of in-situ bulk metallic glass composites (BMGCs) with crystals that undergo a martensitic transformation under loading is possibly the most effective method to improve the plasticity of metallic glasses at room temperature. These martensitic or shape memory BMGCs are typically fabricated via solidification of glass-forming melts, which requires the meticulous selection of the chemical composition and the proper choice of the processing parameters (particularly the cooling rate) in order to ensure that the glassy matrix coexists with the desired amount of austenitic phase having suitable morphology and characteristics. Unfortunately, a relatively limited number of alloy systems, where austenite and glassy matrix coexist over a wide range of compositions, is available. Additionally, the necessity for rapid heat extraction and the corresponding high cooling rates essential for glass formation by melt solidification set an inherent limit to the achievable dimensions of BMGs and BMGCs specimens. The aim of this thesis is to study the effectiveness of powder metallurgy as an alternative to solidification for the synthesis of shape memory BMGCs. Ni50.6Ti49.4 and Zr48Cu36Al8Ag8 metallic glass powders were selected as the constituents of the composites because they have been extensively investigated and represent well the characteristic behavior of metallic glass and shape memory phases. BMGCs with different volume fractions of NiTi phase were fabricated using pressure-assisted sintering via hot pressing and their microstructure, mechanical properties and deformation mechanism were investigated. Particular focus was placed upon identifying the individual contributions of the martensitic transformation and shear band formation to plasticity as well as their mutual interaction at different length scales using a multidisciplinary approach involving experiments and simulations. BMG composites were synthesized by hot pressing of powder mixtures consisting of Zr48Cu36Al8Ag8 metallic glass and different amounts of Ni50.6Ti49.4 particles (10, 20, 40 and 60 vol.%) using the optimized consolidation parameters (temperature-time-pressure) determined for the monolithic BMG. All composites are characterized by a relatively uniform particle distribution and good interface bonding without any sign of reaction between the metallic glass and NiTi. The NiTi particles are progressively less isolated with increasing volume fraction of NiTi up to 40 % and, for the BMGC with 60 vol.% NiTi, the glassy particles are no longer connected and the NiTi phase becomes the continuous matrix. This is not a trivial achievement as the change of matrix while maintaining the structure of the constituent phases would not be easily obtained by solidification of melts with such different compositions. The size of the samples (10 mm diameter and 9 - 11 mm height) is larger than the characteristic BMGCs synthesized by casting and can, in principle, be scaled up to larger dimensions, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach for overcoming the size limitation inherent to glass formation via solidification. In contrast to the monolithic BMG, which does not show any sign of plasticity, the BMGCs exhibit macroscopic plastic deformation that progressively increases with increasing NiTi content along with distinct strain-hardening. The BMG composites have similar fracture strength, which is comparable with the monolithic BMG, and exhibit a distinct double yield behavior, similar to shape memory BMGCs fabricated by casting. The deformed BMGCs exhibit a high density of shear bands, again in agreement with what observed for similar BMGCs fabricated by casting. These findings not only demonstrate that BMGCs with tunable microstructures and thus with optimized deformability can be synthesized by pressure-assisted sintering but, thanks to the phase stability of the components across such a wide range of compositions, also offer an excellent platform to examine fundamental aspects in the field of martensitic BMGCs. The confining stress exerted by the surrounding glassy matrix was quantified at the macroscale via a hybrid Voigt-Reuss mixture, which considers intermediate weighted combinations of stiff and compliant behaviors. In this way, the macroscopic stress required to initiate the martensitic transformation from B2 to B19´ can be described with rather good accuracy. The confining effect was further investigated by in-situ high-energy X-ray diffraction to have access to the strain tensor of the B2 phase as a function of loading. The results indicate that the confining stress along the direction perpendicular to the loading axis is particularly strong because the expansion of the B2 phase is constrained by the elastic matrix. A mechanism responsible for shear band formation in shape memory BMGCs is proposed. The stress field generated by the martensitic transformation in the contiguous glass would activate the adjacent shear transformation zone (STZ, the elementary units of plasticity in BMGs). The stress field induced by the activated STZ in the surrounding material then triggers the activation of the following STZs along the path of a potential shear band, in an autocatalytic process resembling the domino effect. The shear band formed in this way propagates through the glassy phase and, when impinging a B2 particle, the associated stress field would locally trigger the martensitic transformation, starting again the process. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a martensitic BMGC show that the structural perturbation generated by the martensitic transformation is indeed transmitted to the adjacent glassy matrix and, in turn, to the developing shear band, in agreement with the proposed mechanism. The individual contribution of the glassy phase to the residual strain after each loading-unloading cycle was quantified assuming that the NiTi phase behaves in the same manner across the different specimens. The glass contribution was then correlated to the shear band density to obtain the plastic strain resulting from shear banding for a given amount of NiTi phase, a quantity that could be effectively used in the design of plastically-deformable BMGCs with shape memory particles. The martensitic transformation in the composites becomes progressively more irreversible with increasing strain. A large contribution to the martensite stabilization may come from the residual stress induced by the shear bands, in accordance with the finite element method (FEM) simulations, showing that residual stresses in the composites suppress the reverse transformation after unloading. These finding corroborates the hypothesis that the residual elastic stress field generated by the shear bands may be fundamental for stabilizing the martensitic phase by restraining the atoms at the glass-crystal interface from rearranging back to form austenite. This process can be reversed by proper heat treatment. The findings presented in this thesis offer the opportunity to synthesize shape memory BMG composites with enhanced plasticity and strain-hardening capability along with larger dimensions than those typically achieved by solidification. The powder metallurgy approach provides the necessary versatility in materials design and resulting properties of the composites via the control over the fundamental microstructural features, such as volume fraction, size, morphology and distribution of the second phase. Additionally, materials processing in the solid state gives a virtually infinite choice among the possible composite components, a degree of freedom not usually given when processing via solidification.:Abstract iii Kurzfassung vii Motivation and objectives xi 1 Theoretical background and state-of-the-art 1 1.1 Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) 1 1.1.1 Formation of metallic glasses 2 1.1.2 Mechanical properties of BMGs 5 1.1.3 Shear bands in metallic glasses 8 1.2 Bulk metallic glass matrix composites 19 1.2.1 Fabrication of BMG composites 20 1.2.2 In-situ BMG composites 27 1.2.3 Ex-situ BMG composites 43 2 Experiments and simulations 57 2.1 Sample preparation 57 2.1.1 Starting materials 57 2.1.2 Powder mixing 59 2.1.3 Powder consolidation 60 2.2 Materials characterization 61 2.2.1 Composition analysis 61 2.2.2 Laboratory X-ray diffraction 61 2.2.3 High-energy X-ray diffraction and strain analysis 62 2.2.4 Viscosity measurements 63 2.2.5 Differential scanning calorimetry 64 2.2.6 Density measurements 64 2.2.7 X-ray computed tomography 65 2.2.8 Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy 65 2.2.9 Transmission electron microscopy 66 2.2.10 Elastic constants measurements 66 2.2.11 Mechanical tests 67 2.3 Molecular dynamic simulations 67 2.4 Finite element simulations 68 3 Pressure-assisted sintering of single-phase Zr48Cu36Al8Ag8 metallic glass and Ni50.6Ti49.4 powders 73 3.1 Synthesis and properties of single-phase Zr48Cu36Al8Ag8 bulk metallic glass 73 3.2 Synthesis and properties of single-phase Ni50.6Ti49.4 shape memory alloy 80 4 Pressure-assisted sintering of BMG composites with shape memory crystals: Microstructure and mechanical properties 87 4.1 Microstructure of BMG composites 87 4.2 Effect of NiTi volume fraction on mechanical properties 90 4.3 Effect of confinement of the glassy phase on the martensitic transformation 95 5 Deformation mechanism of shape memory BMG composites 101 5.1 Martensitic transformation and shear band formation 101 5.2 Mechanism of shear band formation in shape memory BMG composites 107 6 Reversibility of the martensitic transformation in shape memory BMG composites 113 6.1 Martensite stabilization in NiTi alloy and BMG composites 113 6.2 Simulation of the martensite stabilization effect in BMG composites 119 6.3 Effect of heat treatment on the martensitic reverse transformation 121 7 Summary and outlook 125 References 131 Acknowledgements 155 Publications 157 Erklärung 159

Aluminum - Silicon alloys are recognized as appropriate materials for high performance cast components used in transportation powertrain applications. A combination of excellent wear resistance, good thermal conductivity and low density make these materials good candidates for engine bore applications. It is well accepted that the tribological properties of these alloys are dictated by the presence of hard eutectic silicon particles and their distribution in the soft aluminum matrix. Three near-eutectic aluminum-silicon engine bore alloys manufactured by different processing routes such as sand casting, chill casting and spray compaction were investigated to determine the influence of solidification on evolution of microstructure of these alloys and to establish correlation of microstructure with tribological properties. The spatial distribution of the silicon particles in aluminum matrix is analyzed using various image analysis techniques and contact distribution studies. The chill cast alloy shows large columnar primary aluminum dendrites interspersed with coarse silicon particles. The sand cast and spray compacted alloys show better spatial distribution of refined silicon particles. Microstructures generated under different solidification modes are found to have varying morphologies. The crystallographic orientations of the dendritic and eutectic aluminum as well as that of the eutectic silicon were studied using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The eutectic silicon nucleating in chill cast alloy is found to exhibit strong orientation relationship with the aluminum matrix. The crystallographic orientation relationship shows that the solidification modes of the eutectics in these three alloys are different, from alloy to alloy, due to their different solidification rates and due to the addition of grain refiners and modifiers. The hardness values of the aluminum matrix and silicon particles of these alloys were found using nanoindentation and micro indentation tests. Preliminary wear studies were carried out on etched and unetched test alloys in dry reciprocating sliding. The results show that of the three test alloys, the alloy in which eutectic regions nucleate heterogeneously from the primary aluminum dendrites gives the best wear resistance and the highest hardness. The very low friction coefficient recorded for the etched alloys is accounted for by the insitu formation of a thin sheet of tribofilm on the protruding silicon particles. The physical and chemical natures of this protective film are being investigated.

The feasibility of using superelastic shape memory alloys in the retrofit of multiple frame bridges is investigated. First, three shape memory alloy constitutive models with various levels of complexity are compared in order to determine the significance of including subloops and cyclic loading effects on the structural response. The results show that the structural response is more sensitive to the shape memory alloys strength degradation and residual deformation than the sublooping behavior. Next, two parametric studies are conducted to explore the sensitivity of hinge opening to the mechanical behavior of the superelastic shape memory alloys. The first study is focused on the hysteretic properties of the alloy that could vary depending on the chemical composition or the manufacturing process of the alloy, while the second study targets the changes in the mechanical behavior of shape memory alloys resulting from the variability in the ambient temperature. The results show that the hysteretic behavior of shape memory alloys has only a slight effect on the bridge hinge opening as long as the recentering property is maintained. A detailed study on the effect of temperature shows that a reduction in the ambient temperature tends to negatively affect the hinge opening while an increase in temperature results in a slight improvement. Next, a parametric study is conducted to examine the effectiveness of shape memory alloy retrofit devices in limiting hinge openings in bridges with various properties. In addition, a comparison is made with other devices such as conventional steel restrainers, metallic dampers, and viscoelastic solid dampers. The results illustrate that superelastic shape memory alloys are superior in their effectiveness compared to other devices in the case of bridges with moderate period ratios and high level of ductility, especially when subjected to strong earthquakes.

Background and Objective: Nickel-base superalloys, strengthened by a high volume fraction of Ni3Al precipitates, have been the undisputed choice for turbine discs in gas turbines as they exhibit the best available combination of elevated temperature tensile strength and resistance to low cycle fatigue (LCF), which are essential for a disc alloy. Alloy 720LI is a wrought nickel-base superalloy developed for disc application and exhibit superior elevated temperature tensile strength and LCF properties. It is distinct from contemporary disc alloys because of its chemistry, (especially Ti, Al and interstitial (C and B) contents), processing and heat treatment. However, literature available in open domain to develop an understanding of these properties in alloy 720LI is rather limited. This study was taken up in this background with an objective of assessing the tensile and LCF properties exhibited by alloy 720LI within a temperature regime of interest and understand the structure-property correlations behind it. Tensile Behavior: The effect of temperature and strain rate on monotonic tensile properties were assessed at different temperature in the range of 25 – 750°C (0.67 Tm) at a strain rate of 10-4 s-1 and strain rate effects were explored in detail at 25, 400, 650 and 750°C at different strain rates between 10-5 s-1 and 10-1 s-1. Yield and ultimate tensile strength of the alloy remains unaffected by temperature till about 600°C (0.58Tm) and 500°C (0.51Tm), respectively, beyond which both decreased drastically. Negligible strain rate sensitivity exhibited by the alloy at 25 and 400°C indicated that flow stress is a strong function of strain hardening rather than strain rate hardening. However at 650 and 750°C, especially at low strain rates, strain rate sensitivity is relatively high. TEM studies revealed that heterogeneous planar slip involving shearing of precipitates by dislocation pairs was prevalent under strain rate insensitive conditions and more homogeneous slip was evident when flow stresses were strain rate sensitive. The planarity of slip is also considered responsible for the deviation in experimental data from the Ludwick–Hollomon power-law at low plastic strains in regimes insensitive to strain rate. Irrespective of strain rate sensitivity and degree of homogeneity of slip, fracture mode remained ductile at almost all the conditions studied. Dynamic Strain Ageing: Alloy 720LI exhibits jerky flow in monotonic tension at intermediate temperatures ranging from 250-475°C. After considering all known causes for serrated flow in materials, the instability in flow (Portevin-LeChatelier (PLC) effect) is considered attributable to dynamic strain ageing (DSA), arising from interactions between diffusing solute atoms and mobile dislocations during plastic flow. As the temperature range of DSA coincided with typical bore and web temperatures of turbine discs, its possible influence on tensile properties is considered in detail. No significant change in tensile strength, ductility, or work hardening is observed, due to DSA, with increase in temperature from smooth to serrated flow regime. However strain rate sensitivity, which is positive in smooth flow regime turned negative in the serrated flow regime. Analysis of serrated flow on the basis of critical plastic strain for onset of serrations revealed that in most of the temperature-strain rate regimes studied, alloy 720LI exhibits ‘inverse’ PLC effect which is a phenomenon that has not been fully understood in contrast to ‘normal’ PLC effect observed widely in dilute solid solutions. Other characteristics of serrated flow viz., stress decrement and strain increment between serrations are also analyzed to understand the mechanism of DSA. Though the activation energy determined using stress decrements suggest that carbon atoms could be responsible for locking of dislocations, based on its influence on mechanical properties and also on its temperature regime of existence, weak pinning of dislocations by substitutional solute atoms are considered responsible for DSA in alloy 720LI. LCF Behavior: LCF studies were carried out under fully reversed constant strain amplitude conditions at 25, 400 and 650°C with strain amplitudes ranging from 0.4-1.2%. Different cyclic stress responses observed depending on the imposed conditions are correlated to the substructures that evolved. Low level of dislocation activity and interactions observed in TEM is considered the reason behind stable cyclic stress response at low strain amplitudes at all temperatures. TEM studies also show that secondary γ’ precipitates that are degraded through repeated shearing are responsible for the continuous softening, observed after a short initial hardening phase, at higher strain amplitudes. Studies at 400°C show manifestation of DSA on LCF behavior at 400°C in the form increased cyclic hardening which tends to offset softening effects at higher strain amplitudes. Plastic strain dependence of fatigue lives exhibited bilinearity in Coffin-Manson plots at all temperatures. TEM substructures revealed that planar slip with deformation concentrated on slip bands is the major deformation mode under all the conditions examined. However, homogeneity of deformation increases with increase in strain and temperature. At 25°C, with increasing strain, increased homogeneity manifested in the form of increased number of slip bands. At 650°C, with increase in strain, increased dislocation activity in the inter-slip band regions lead to increased homogeneity. It is also seen that fine deformation twins that form at 650°C and low strain amplitudes play a role in aiding homogenization of deformation. Unlike other alloy systems where an environmental effect or a change in deformation mechanism leads to bilinearity in Coffin – Manson (CM) plots, our study shows that differences in distribution of slip is the reason behind bilinear CM plots. While the properties and behavior of alloy 720LI under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions over a range of temperatures could be rationalized on the basis of deformation substructures, the thesis opens up the door for further in-depth studies on deformation mechanisms in 720LI as well as other disc alloys of similar microstructure.

Amorphous alloys possess attractive combinations of mechanical properties (high elastic limit, ~2%, high fracture toughness, 20-50 MPa.m1/2, etc.) and exhibit mechanical behavior that is different, in many ways, from that of the crystalline metals and alloys. However, fundamental understanding of the deformation and fracture mechanisms in amorphous alloys, which would allow for design of better metallic glasses, has not been established on a firm footing yet. The objective of this work is to understand the deformation and fracture mechanisms of amorphous materials at various length scales and make connections with the macroscopic properties of glasses. Various experimental techniques were employed to study the macroscopic behavior and atomistic simulations were conducted to understand the mechanisms at the nano level. Towards achieving these objectives, we first study the toughness of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG), Vitreloy-1, as a function of the free volume, which was varied by recourse to structural relaxation of the BMG through sub-Tg annealing treatment. Both isothermal annealing at 500 K (0.8Tg) for up to 24 h and isochronal annealing for 24 h in the temperature range of 130 K (0.65Tg) to 530 K (0.85Tg) were conducted and the impact toughness, Γ, values were measured. Results show severe embrittlement, with losses of up to 90% in Γ, with annealing. The variation in Γ with annealing time, ta, was found to be similar to that observed in the enthalpy change at the glass transition, ΔH, with ta, indicating that the reduction of free volume due to annealing is the primary mechanism responsible for the loss in Γ with annealing. Having established the connection between sub-atomic length scales (free volume) and macroscopic response (toughness), we investigated further the affects of relaxation on intermediate length scale behavior, namely deformation induced by shear bands, by employing instrumented indentation techniques. While the Vickers nano-indentation response of the as-cast and annealed glasses do not show any significant difference, spherical indentation response shows reduced shear band activity in the annealed BMG. Further, relatively high indentation strain was observed to be necessary for shear band initiation in the annealed glass, implying an increased resistance for the nucleation of shear bands when the BMG is annealed. In the absence of microstructural features that allow for establishment of correlation between properties and the structure, we resort to atomistic modeling to gain further understanding of the deformation mechanisms in amorphous alloys. In particular, we focus on the micromechanisms of strain accommodation including crystallization and void formation during inelastic deformation of glasses. Molecular dynamics simulations on a single component system with Lennard-Jones-like atoms suggest that a softer short range interaction between atoms favors crystallization. Compressive hydrostatic strain in the presence of a shear strain promotes crystallization whereas a tensile hydrostatic strain was found to induce voids. The deformation subsequent to the onset of crystallization includes partial re-amorphization and recrystallization, suggesting important mechanisms of plastic deformation in glasses. Next, a study of deformation induced crystallization is conducted on two component amorphous alloys through atomistic simulations. The resistance of a binary glass to deformation-induced-crystallization (deformation stability) is found to increase with increasing atomic size ratio. A new parameter called “atomic stiffness” (defined by the curvature of the inter-atomic potential at the equilibrium separation distance) is introduced and examined for its role on deformation stability. The deformation stability of binary glasses is found to increase with increasing atomic stiffness. For a given composition, the internal energies of binary crystals and glasses are compared and it is found that the energy of glass remains approximately constant for a wide range of atomic size ratios unlike crystals in which the energy increases with increasing atomic size ratio. This study uncovers the similarities between deformation and thermal stabilities of glasses and suggests new parameters for predicting highly stable glass compositions.

Over the last few decades, body-centered-cubic (bcc) beta (β) titanium alloys have largely been exploited as structural alloys owing to the richness in their microstructural features. These features, which lead to a unique combination of high specific strength and ductility, excellent hardenability, good fatigue performance, and corrosion resistance, make these alloys viable candidates for many applications, including aerospace, automobile, and orthopedic implants. The mechanical properties of these alloys strongly depend on the various phases present; which can be controlled by thermomechanical treatments and/or alloy design. The two most important and studied phases are the metastable ω phase and the stable α phase. The present study focuses on the microstructural evolution and the mechanical behavior of these two phases in a model β-Ti alloy, binary Ti-12wt. %Mo alloy, and a commercial β-Ti alloy, β-21S. Microstructures containing athermal and isothermal ω phases in the binary Ti-12wt. %Mo alloy are obtained under specific accurate temperature controlled heat treatments. The formation and the evolution of the ω-phase based microstructures are investigated in detail via various characterization techniques such as SEM, TEM, and 3D atom probe tomography. The mechanical behavior was investigated via quasi-static tensile loading; at room and elevated temperatures. The effect of β phase stability on the deformation behavior is then discussed. Similar to the Ti-12wt. %Mo, the formation and the evolution of the athermal and isothermal ω phases in the commercial β-21S alloy was studied under controlled heat treatments. The structural and compositional changes were tracked using SEM, TEM, HR-STEM, and 3D atom probe tomography (3D-APT). The presence of additional elements in the commercial alloy were noted to make a considerable difference in the evolution and morphology of the ω phase and also the mechanical behavior of the alloys. The Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) like effect was observed in iii this alloy at elevated temperature and this has been attributed to the shearing of the ω precipitates and the dynamic precipitation of the α phase within these channels. The formation of the stable α phase in the commercial β-21S alloy due to the influence of precursor phases, like the metastable ω phase, is investigated. It is evident from the microstructural characterization, using SEM, TEM, HR-STEM, and 3D-APT, that the ω phase does play a role on the fine scale α precipitation. The mechanical behavior of the β+α microstructure, investigated via tensile testing, shows that these alloys are ideal candidate for precipitation hardening. The exceptional strength values obtained in this alloy have been attributed to a combination of several factors.

Aluminium alloys, which are the most widely used materials in the aircraft and aerospace industries, find their applications due to high strength–to-density ratio, resistance to catastrophic fracture, high degree of toughness, fabricability including good weldability and availability. High strength aluminum alloys are used in different forms like sheets, forgings and extruded rods, welded and machined components in the aerospace industry. One major application of the aluminium alloys in the space sector is in the launch vehicle and satellite sub-systems. The Indian Space Research Organization has met major challenges of indigenization of suitable aluminium alloys, for example, Al-Cu alloys (like AA2219) and Al–Zn-Mg alloys (like AA7075 and AFNOR 7020). Many failures of the metallic sub-systems made of different grades of aluminum alloys have confirmed that high levels of residual stresses and unacceptable microstructures have played a role. Crystallographic texture in these materials has a very significant role to play in the performance of these materials in service. The anisotropy in the mechanical properties caused by crystallographic texture would add to the woes of the existing problems of residual stresses and directionality in the microstructure. In this context, a detailed study of crystallographic texture and residual stresses of high strength aluminium alloys is mandatory. It is also important to study the influence of texture on the anisotropy in mechanical properties. The present research programme aims at addressing some of these aspects. The entire work has been divided in three major sections, namely macro and micro texture analysis, non-destructive measurement of residual stresses using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and the Ultrasonic Testing (UST) and the study of anisotropy in the mechanical properties arising due to the above two factors. The thesis composition is as follows. In Chapter I, a detailed survey of the literature has been presented wherein basic physical metallurgy for different aluminum alloys of interest has been given. Thereafter, details of texture measurement by the X-ray diffraction and Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) are presented. This is followed by a detailed review on the texture studies carried out in aluminium alloys under various conditions. Literature review on the two non-destructive methods, namely the X-ray diffraction and ultrasonic method has been carried out in detail. In order to account for microstructural changes, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was carried out. Recent work on the mechanical property anisotropy arising due to high degree of mechanical working in aluminium alloys has been reviewed. Chapter II includes the experimental details involved in the course of the present investigation. The procedural details of cold rolling and associated microstructural changes are given in this chapter. This is followed by the texture measurement methods. Experimental details of the bulk texture measurement using the X-ray diffraction and micro texture measurements by the Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) in the SEM are described. Details of the texture computation procedure as well as micro texture analysis methods are also presented. Basic principles of the non-destructive methods of measuring residual stresses, viz., the X-ray diffraction and the Ultrasonic testing, including the theory of measurements, are dealt with. Finally, the details of measurements of anisotropy in mechanical properties, including simulation carried out, for the three alloys are delineated. Chapter III deals with the results of the crystallographic texture measurements carried out on the cold rolled and artificially aged aluminium alloys. Results obtained from the pole figure analysis, Orientation Distribution Function (ODF) method and estimation of the various fibres present in the cold rolled material and the volume fraction of the texture components are discussed in detail for the three aluminium alloys. Results of the micro texture measurements using the EBSD are presented, explained and analyzed in detail. A comparison of the inverse pole figures (IPFs), Image Quality (IQ) maps, Misorientation angle, Grain Orientation Spread (GOS), Kernal Average Misorientation (KAM), CSL boundaries, Grain size and Grain boundary character distribution (GBCD) for materials cold rolled to different reduction for each of the alloys are done and analyzed. Conclusions are drawn regarding the evolution of texture from the above analysis. Deformation texture components Cu, Bs and S increase from the starting material as the rolling percentage increases. On the other hand, recrystallization texture components of Goss and Cube are observed to be weak. AFNOR 7020 developed the strongest texture followed by the AA7075 and AA2219 alloys. The Bs component is stronger in AFNOR 7020 alloy. This is attributed to the shear banding. Average KAM value increases as the cold working in the material increases confirming that the material contains high dislocation density at higher working percentages. Chapter IV deals with residual stresses in the aluminium alloys. Measurement of residual stresses has been carried out on the same sheets and plates, wherever it was possible, using the two methods. The residual stresses have been measured in two mutually perpendicular directions of the aluminium alloy sheets. Residual stress measurements by the ultrasonic method using the Critically Refracted Longitudinal (LCR) wave technique is also used to measure the subsurface stresses non-destructively. Acousto Elastic Coefficients (AEC) is determined for the alloys, in uniaxial tension. Using the AEC for the alloys, the RS at a depth of 3mm are evaluated using a 2MHz probe. Results of the stresses measured by the two methods have been discussed. The trends and anisotropy in the stress values due to texture are discussed and compared with the literature available. Surface residual stresses by the XRD method show compressive stresses at a majority of the locations. Residual stresses measured by the ultrasonic technique, which has a depth of penetration of about 3mm, have shown tensile stresses on many locations. Residual stresses are influenced by the crystallographic texture. Anisotropy in stress values in the longitudinal and transverse directions is demonstrated. In Chapter V, the anisotropy in mechanical properties for the three alloys is discussed in detail. The anisotropy in the three directions, namely the parallel, transverse and 45 deg orientation to the rolling directions is evaluated. The Lankford parameter, otherwise known as Plastic Anisotropy Ratio “r”, has been measured from the tensile tests of the alloy samples in the cold rolled conditions. These have been compared with the computed “r” from the XRD ODF data using the VPSC simulations and found to be qualitatively matching. These trends are discussed with the available literature on the anisotropy of the mechanical properties for aluminium alloys. Samples subjected to high cold rolling show anisotropy of UTS, YS and ‘n’ values. Experimentally measured “r” values in all the deformation conditions match the trend qualitatively with the simulated ones. The maximum anisotropy was observed at 45o orientation to the rolling direction in all the three alloys. Chapter VI gives the summary of the results from the study and the suggestions for future work.