Materials Science Forum Vols. 495-497

Abstract: High magnetic field is applied with the field direction parallel to the rolling direction during annealing of a cold rolled IF steel sheet. Results of X-ray ODF analysis show that, magnetic field annealing retards the normal recrystallization texture evolution for the IF steel sheet. It is worth noting that an abnormal increase of orientation intensity at {100}<110> is found after magnetic annealing for 25min at 650°C. When the magnetic field strength is increased from 10 Tesla to 14 Tesla, the a-fiber is further strengthened, especially the {100}<110> component. Combined with EBSD analysis results, it is considered that the magnetic field does not change the mechanism of recrystallization texture evolution for the IF steel sheet in the present case.

Abstract: Nonoriented electrical steels have been widely used as core materials in motors and generators. For these applications low core loss and high permeability are required. The magnetic properties of these steels depend on the grain size and crystallographic texture of the annealed final products. The problems related to grain size control have been extensively investigated, while texture control has received much less attention. The technologies used to control the grain size in nonoriented electrical steels have approached to their limits. However, there is still some possibility for improvement of the magnetic properties through texture control. In order to explore this possibility, the evolution of recrystallization texture for nonoriented electrical steels with 2% Si was systematically studied. Texture change during grain growth was additionally analyzed. The formation of recrystallization texture is explained by oriented nucleation. This is supported by the fact that the area fraction of nuclei or recrystallized grains with specific orientation to all new grains remains almost constant during the progress of recrystallization. Most nuclei have a high misorientation angle of 25~55° with the surrounding deformed matrices. During the progress of grain growth, Goss and {111}<112> components are weakened and the random texture is strengthened. The grains of the Goss and {111}<112> orientations have smaller grain size than those of random orientation.

Abstract: The study was carried out to understand the mechanisms occurring during the direct (negative shear direction) and reversed (positive shear direction) hot torsion of 11% chromium stabilized ferritic stainless steels. The behaviours induced by various types of stabilization, i.e., when either niobium, or titanium, or both niobium and titanium are used were compared. It was observed that continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) operates in all materials starting at the onset of straining. Niobium has a more pronounced influence on hardening than titanium during hot deformation, which is due to solid solution strengthening and also to the reduction or stopping of grain boundary migration by solute drag effect. The D2 component, {112} < 111 > , was the major texture component at the steady state for the torsion tests carried along the negative shear direction. It was likely to be formed by a combination of strain and the growth of grains exhibiting both low stored energy and low rotation rate of the crystallographic axes. After reversion of the shear direction, i.e. during positive shear, the above major texture component is gradually changed into the D1 component, {112} < 111 > . Using the CMTP method (Continuum Mechanics of Textured Polycrystals), the stress evolution is explained by the volume fraction changes of each component at various strains, associated with their respective Taylor factors. Such simplified approach leads to a good agreement with experimental results.

Abstract: The effect of warm and cold rolling parameters on the development of annealing textures was studied in two low carbon steels containing additions of chromium. Two warm rolling temperatures (640 and 700°C) were employed together with a reduction of 65%. The effects of an additional cold rolling reduction of 40% and of decreasing the heating rate during annealing were also studied. The ND fiber, <111>//ND, of the recrystallization texture was strengthened as the warm rolling temperature was decreased. However, all the warm rolled steels contained a retained RD fiber, <110>//RD. A noticeable improvement in both the continuity and intensity of the ND fiber was obtained when the sample was submitted to an additional 40% cold rolling reduction. The ND fiber was even more continuous and intense when a low heating rate was utilized, yielding r-values of 1.1 and 1.3 for the warm rolled and warm plus cold rolled samples, respectively.

Abstract: The recrystallization process of two low-carbon ferritic steels with low fraction of alloying elements are modelled. The difference in chemical composition and initial thermomechanical treatment between these two steels can be the cause of the difference in the stored energy distribution after 40% deformation by cold rolling or plane compression simulated by Finite Element Modelling (FEM). In both cases the deformation texture is characterized by the presence of a g- fibre with a reinforcement for the {111}<112> component. The microstructure simulated by FEM is used as initial structure for Monte-Carlo simulations of recrystallization. In these simulations, the variation in chemical composition and initial thermo-mechanical treatment is introduced by the difference in stored energy distribution while recovery, nucleation and grain growth are simulated assuming that grain boundary properties mainly depend on misorientation. Modelling results are in agreement with experimental observations: that is the presence of a g- recrystallization fibre which corresponds to the initial deformed state and the development of {111}<110> component which is not sharp in the deformation microstructure.

Abstract: High strength TRIP-aided steel sheets with high formability and better ductility are of industrial interest. Texture control and retained austenite characterization are considered as the main factors with respect to the formability and ductility. In this work, the effect of cold rolling and intercritical annealing on texture development has been investigated for two TRIP-aided steel sheets, which are different in Si and Al content. Experiments show that the cold rolling extends the a and g–fibers on these grades of steel. Intercretically annealing decreases the intensity of a–fiber and leads to sharpness of g–fiber, especially for Al steel.

Abstract: The effect of initial microstructure on the recrystallization behaviour and texture development of low carbon (LC) steel was investigated. Steel strip samples (0.05 wt.% C) of 2 mm in thickness were heat treated to produce a microstructure consisting predominantly of either polygonal ferrite or acicular ferrite. Samples were cold rolled 50, 70 and 90% reduction then annealed for various times in the temperature range 580-640 oC. The microstructures and textures produced by deformation and annealing were studied by optical microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction in the SEM. The initial microstructure was found to have a substantial influence on the rate of recrystallization and final texture. It was found that polygonal ferrite recrystallizes more rapidly than acicular ferrite with the former generating the strongest <111>//ND recrystallization texture. The results are examined within the framework of improving the formability of LC steel produced by direct strip casting whereby controlled thermal and mechanical processing prior to cold rolling and annealing can generate the same types of initial microstructures, as studied in this work.