Bridging grain orientation and rotation behavior via sequential slip activation in CoCrNi alloys

Grain orientation critically governs the deformation mechanisms in polycrystalline materials, particularly through its influence on dislocation slip activation and grain rotation. In this study, a slip–texture correlation (STC) framework is introduced to directly link sequential slip activation to grain rotation behavior as demonstrated in CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy. In-situ experimental observations during tensile deformation confirm that single slip activation can lead to a unique and predictable grain rotation path, independent of the initial orientation and slip type. In contrast, the activation of double, triple, and quadruple slip results in increasingly complex rotation behaviors due to slip–slip interactions and cross-slip phenomena. Grains with initial orientations near the center of the stereographic triangle favor single slip, while those near the edge are more prone to multiple slip activations. Interestingly, the grain rotation angle decreases with the increasing number of sequential slip systems, despite the initial orientations. This framework also elucidates two longstanding observations with the support of molecular dynamic simulations: stochastic grain rotations near the <001> orientation, driven by the abundance of potential slip systems, and the stability of the <111> orientation due to its resistance to slip initiation. These findings offer a mechanistic foundation for understanding texture evolution and provide quantitative insights to guide the optimization of polycrystal plasticity models. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.