Effects of surface-segregated sulfur on primary texture and surface-energy-induced selective grain growth in ultra-thin 3% silicon-iron alloy

Correlation between surface-segregated sulfur, nucleation, surface-energy-induced selective growth and final texture is investigated in 40mum thick 3%Si-Fe strips containing 90ppm bulk content of sulfur. At a fixed final reduction, the final texture after direct isothermal annealing is transited from {100} <uvw> to {110) <001> with increasing flow rate of hydrogen. Such a dependence of final texture on flow rate of hydrogen results from the decrease in concentration of surface-segregated sulfur by the active formation of H2S, the followed decrease in selective growth time period of {100} <uvw> grains and the resultant increase in survival probability of {110} <001> grains after the selective growth of (100) <uvw> grains. At a fixed flow rate of hydrogen, the change in final texture of {110} <uvw> to {110} <001> with increasing heating rate is due to the lower concentration of segregated sulfur that is favorable for the nucleation of the {110} <001> Goss embryos.