Correlation Between Microstructure and Texture Development in a Cold-rolled TWIP Steel

X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy were used to characterize the crystallographic texture and the grain microstructure in cold-rolled Fe-23.2Mn-0.57C alloy. The development of texture and microstructure with increasing strain was systematically analyzed. From 10 to 85% rolling reduction the observed microstructure changes can be characterized by four distinctly different features: twin-matrix lamellae, alignment of twins with rolling plane, herring bone structure and macro shear bands. The effect of microstructural heterogeneity on texture was addressed. The observed change of the Cu texture component {112}< 111 > with increasing strain was attributed to the competition of homogeneous dislocation slip and deformation twinning. The shift of the Brass component towards the Goss orientation at higher reduction levels (> 60%) corresponds to the appearance of a large amount of the shear bands and the formation of the < 111 > // ND fiber texture - to the alignment of twin-matrix lamellae with rolling plane.