Effects of high magnetic field and field direction on recrystallization and recrystallization texture in cold-rolled IF steel sheet

The effects of magnetic annealing on recrystallization and texture evolution in as-annealed interstitial-free (IF) steel sheet were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction ODF analysis, SEM-EBSD analysis, and optical microstructure observation. During the magnetic annealing, specimens were placed at the center of the applied magnetic field, with their rolling planes parallel to the field direction (MD) and their rolling direction (RD) normal to the field direction (MD). It was found that the magnetic annealing retards the recrystallization process, but promotes the nucleation at the initial stage of recrystallization. Magnetic annealing did not change the mechanism of recrystallization texture evolution but improved the development of gamma-fiber texture during the process of recrystallization, and the magnetically annealed specimen had stronger gamma-fiber texture compared with the conventionally annealed specimen; this interesting finding is quite different from the previous work on magnetically annealed IF steel.