Use of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to Improve the Critical Strain-Annealing (CSA) Method for Producing Large Crystals: Application to A1050 Commercially Pure Aluminum

The aim of this work is to present an efficient procedure for growing large metallic single crystals that associates a classical growth technique (namely, the critical strain-annealing—CSA—method) with advanced methods accurate full-field strain measurements based on digital image correlation (DIC) and sample geometry design using finite element analysis. Measuring plastic strains accuracy better than 0.1% resulted in significantly improved construction recrystallization diagram. Applying “DIC-assisted CSA method” A1050 commercially pure aluminum allowed obtaining less two days (26 h 30 h) multi-crystal samples half dozen grains. Their length between 35 mm 100 was full agreement obtained