(100)-textured 3% silicon steel sheets by manganese removal and decarburization

Texture development in 3% Si steel sheets by the manganese removal and decarburization process has been investigated. The 3% Si steel sheets that contain Mn and C were first annealed in vacuum at alpha-ferrite (alpha)/austenite (gamma) duplex or gamma phase temperatures, and then decarburized. During the vacuum annealing a manganese removal induced phase transformation to a occurs in a thin layer near the sheet surface. Pronounced (100) textures with a variety of in-plane anisotropies develop in the layer. The subsequent decarburization promotes the growth of the surface grains into the interior, providing the entire sheet with the same texture. The resultant materials exhibit excellent soft-magnetic properties. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.