Static Recrystallization Kinetics and Crystallographic Texture of Nb-Stabilized Ferritic Stainless Steel Based on Orientation Imaging Microscopy

In the present study, Nb-stabilized ferritic stainless steel was prepared with annealing (430-A) and without annealing (430-NA) annealing, and the microstructure of the resulting samples was examined. The steel was then subjected to cold rolling and isothermal annealing in order to analyze its recrystallization kinetics and texture evolution. Microstructural characterization was performed by scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Recrystallization kinetics were evaluated by measuring the microhardness of the samples, and analyzing their kernel average misorientation and grain orientation spread via electron backscatter diffraction. The Avrami exponent data revealed that one-dimensional grain growth occurred owing to the migration of high-angle grain boundaries. The mean activation energies for recrystallization for 430-NA and 430-A was found to be 365 and 419 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. The recrystallization texture was influenced by oriented nucleation and selected growth mechanisms, as well as by the Nb carbonitride distribution and grain boundary energy. The recrystallized and growing grains with the {554}〈225〉 orientation showed a dimensional advantage over the other recrystallized components. The coincident site lattice boundaries were attributed to the progression of recrystallization since the CSL numeric fraction increased as the temperature increased. The {554}〈225〉 component was associated with the ∑19a boundary, which exerted a significant control on the selective growth during the recrystallization.