Development of {111} transformation texture in interstitial-free steels

The evolution of the transformation texture in two Ti₄C₂S₂-stabilized interstitial-free (IF) steels (Ti-and Ti/Nb-) was studied as a function of different thermomechanical processing (TMP) parameters using orientation distribution function (ODF) analysis. The ensuing transformation texture, largely independent of the steel composition and TMP path of the kind used in these experiments, is strongly related to the combination of initial austenite grain size and the amount of deformation applied in the early rolling passes. It is proposed that the formation of crystallographic heterogeneities in austenite induces the gamma-fiber texture development around the {111} components in the ferrite.