Recrystallisation is the process in which deformed grains are replaced by strain-free grains. It is generally observed that higher cold work and smaller initial grain size lead to finer recrystallized grains.

The driving force for recrystallisation is the stored strain energy in the material. For recrystallisation to take place, a minimum of cold working is needed; if the deformation is very low, recrystallisation does not occur.

During recrystallisation, the stress-free grains nucleate and grow. In a recrystallised system (after more than 90% deformation) the resultant microstructure is textured; that is, most of the grains have similar orientation.

In Figure 2 we (schematically) show the fraction recrystallised in cold worked copper as a function of annealing time at different temperatures. From the figure it is clear that the dynamics of recrystallisation can be described by JMAK kinetics. It is also observed that the recrystallisation rate increases with temperature in an expotential manner.