Relationship between the initial {100} textures and the shear textures developed in sheet surface during hot rolling of non-oriented silicon steel

The texture and microstructure variation through thickness of hot-rolled sheets can inherit to the final recrystallized sheets in silicon steels, thereby affecting final magnetic properties. A systematic study on the evolution of shear textures in hot-rolled sheets is of great importance for controlling and improving the magnetic properties of industrial products. The relationship between the initial {100} textures in cast slabs with columnar grains and the shear textures developed in surface of hot rolled sheets was studied in this work. The formation of the shear textures in the sheet surface was tracked during hot rolling of columnar grained cast slabs with 30% similar to 90% reductions. The results show that the cube orientation {100}<001> usually rotates to the Goss orientation {110}<001> around the <100>//RD axis; the {001}<120> orientation rotates to the Brass type orientation {110}<112> around the <100> axis parallel the rolling plane; and rotated cube orientation {100}<011> rotates to the Copper type orientation {112}<111> around the <110>//TD axis. Goss and Brass oriented regions appear earlier than Copper oriented regions. More than a quarter of the cube and {001}<120> oriented regions are retained in the surface regions of hot-rolled sheets even after 88% rolling reduction. Considering beneficial Goss texture for magnetic properties of final sheets and texture heredity, the hot rolling conditions are controlled at threshold before formation of dynamic recrystallization zone that is more preferred.