Cost-effective production of non-oriented silicon steel without normalization: Microstructural and texture optimization for enhanced magnetic properties

This study proposes a cost-effective strategy to achieve industrial-scale production of 1.6 wt% Si steel equivalent without normalization treatment. Systematic investigations were conducted on the correlation between post- coiling cooling protocols and the evolution of microstructure/texture characteristics/magnetic performance in hot-rolled plates. Notably, reduced cooling rates enhance microstructural homogeneity while promoting favorable texture development, ultimately resulting in significant grain growth from 40.2 mu m to 75.8 mu m after annealing. Samples slowly cooled in pits immediately after coiling achieved optimal performance: B50 = 1.694 T and P1.5/50 = 2.69 W/kg (50 Hz, 5000 A/m for B50; 1.5 T, 50 Hz for P1.5/50).