Effect of strain and deformation mode on cube texture formation in warm bi-axial rolled low-carbon steel

Cube texture extensively influences the physical and mechanical properties of materials, but the {100}<001> cube texture scarcely occurs in body-centered cubic metals as deformed state. The cube texture formation in low carbon steel bars processed via 24-pass warm bi-axial rolling (WBR) was confirmed. The cube texture was observed in the area from the center to the quarter in the 13 mm rolled square bar, and it disappeared near the surface. In the present study, the cube texture formation was studied from the viewpoint of strain and deformation mode through finite element analysis (FEA). An equivalent strain, epsilon(eq), accumulated, and strain components inside a bar during 24-pass rolling were quantified by using FEA. The epsilon(eq) was efficiently accumulated in the center and it was more than twice as large as the nominal strain calculated from shape change. The area from the center to the quarter was alternately compressed from two directions under the simple compressive mode. On the other hand, the surface area was compressed under the plane strain mode and shear deformation. Consequently, the bi-axial simple compressive mode brings out cube texture. These quantitative strain and deformation mode analyses would be useful for creating materials with cube orientation.