Texture Evolution of Columnar Grains in Electrical Steel During Hot Rolling

Columnar grains in cast slabs of electrical steel show strong anisotropy in grain orientation and morphology and thus influence the subsequent microstructure and texture after hot rolling significantly. The texture evolution of hot rolled sheets containing initial columnar grains with their <100> directions approximately parallel to the rolling direction (RD), transverse direction (TD) and normal direction (ND) of the hot rolled sheets was investigated by using EBSD technique. The results indicated that, whatever the initial texture of the columnar grains was, typical Goss, brass-type and copper-type shear texture component could develop in shear-deformed surface region. The copper-type texture formed under the maximum shearing force with the fine, sheared or dynamically recrystallized grains, and Goss grains were mainly elongated and deformed grains, while brass grains behaved between them. Additionally, the rotating relationship of the three types of shear textures was different due to the restriction of grain boundaries. In homogenously deformed center region, the RD sample contained more {112} <110> grains, and TD sample was covered by {100} textures such as {100}<011> and {100}<021> with coarse grains, while the ND sample developed many {100}<011> grains which were attributed to more {100} grains in the initial sample. Remarkable texture transition occurred on both sides of grain boundaries when {110} grains were adjacent to α-fiber texture grains. It was found that significant texture gradient and preferred distribution of rotating axis existed in the soft orientation grains on the α-fiber when the grains neighbored hard grains on γ-fiber.