Inconel 718 before flowforming with grain size ASTM 5-6, 100X etched
	Inconel 718 after flowforming heat-treatment with grain sizes ASTM 11-12, 100X etched

GRAIN STRUCTURE: As a result of the cold work (strain hardening) that occurs during the process cycle, a flowformed component will have considerably higher mechanical properties than the ones of the starting material. Typically, the preform material is plastically deformed with wall reductions in excess of 75% of the starting wall thickness, causing a substantial refinement of the grain structure and a total realignment of the grains’ microstructure in a very uniform, axial direction. The greater the wall reduction, the finer the grain’s microstructure of the finished component. If necessary, the grain structure can be recrystallized by a post forming annealing cycle.

CRYSTALLOGRAGHIC TEXTURE: During the flowforming cycle, all the crystals that form the starting grain structure will be displaced and realigned. The overall orientation of these crystals is known as " texture". Nearly all mechanical properties are influenced by the metal's texture. In a flowformed component, the overall texture is always uniformly oriented. For example, in the case of Hexagonal Closed Packed (HCP) materials such as Titanium and Zirconium, their flowformed crystals will have radially oriented basal planes. This condition increases the biaxial strength of the metal, effectively increasing the circumferential strength. The flowformed crystallographic texture can be further intensified by a post flowforming annealing cycle. On a micro level, the annealing will recrystallize the grain structure while on an atomic level, the texturing effect will be magnified.