Effect of initial grain size prior to cold rolling on annealing texture in non-oriented electrical steel

The magnetic properties of nonoriented electrical steels are influenced by grain size and texture. The problems related to grain size control have been investigated extensively, while texture control has received much less attention. The initial grain size which is considered an important factor in the texture control was changed by annealing the hot band at different temperatures. The specimens having different initial grain sizes had significantly different textures in the cold rolled state. As a result, different textures were also observed in partially recrystallized specimens and those where recrystallization was completed and grain coarsening has taken place. During the recrystallization stage, new grains formed in the coarse-grained specimen had stronger Goss but weaker gamma-fibre texture than those in the fine-grained specimen. During the grain coarsening after complete recrystallization, the coarse-grained specimen still had weaker gamma-fibre texture than the fine-grained specimen, but there was no significant difference in the Goss texture component. However, after grain coarsening at 950degreesC, the Cube texture component was stronger in the coarse-grained specimen than in the fine-grained specimen.