  High-energy synchrotron x-rays are used to track grain rotations and the
micromechanical evolution of a hexagonal Ti-7Al microstructure as it is
cyclically loaded below its macroscopic yield stress. The evolution of the
grains through 200 cycles reveals a continual change in von Mises stress and
orientation across the entire specimen indicating a slow accumulation of
plasticity even though the sample was cycled below its macroscopic yield. Grain
reorientation is consistent with the development of a tension texture despite
the negligible magnitude of (macroscopic) plastic strain. It is observed that
grains in a "hard" orientation (c-axis close to the loading direction) retain
more residual stress on their slip systems upon unloading than the grains in a
"soft" orientation.
