Evolution of Texture and Related Magnetic Properties in Fe-3%Si Steel during Single-step Annealing

Cold rolled Fe-3%Si steel sheets underwent a single-step annealing process, which included a decarburizing treatment. Crystallographic texture and magnetic properties were investigated after cold rolling and annealing for various times. Most of the Goss oriented grains were situated inside the shear bands of {111}< 112 > oriented grains in the cold rolled samples. In the annealed samples, island grains were observed in the abnormally growing grains. The island grains had either low (< 15 degrees) or high (>45 degrees) misorientations. The abnormally growing grains were surrounded by 25 degrees-45 degrees misorientation boundaries. The effects of crystallographic texture on magnetic properties were evaluated using a texture parameter, the ratio of the sum of Cube and Goss texture components fractions to gamma fiber texture components fraction. The results show that iron losses decrease linearly with increasing texture parameter.