Effect of lanthanum on recrystallization behavior of non-oriented silicon steel

Non-oriented silicon steels containing different mass fractions of lanthanum were prepared using a high-frequency suspended furnace. Microstructures were observed by a metallographic microscope and micro-orientations were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that at the annealing temperature of 870 degrees C, recrystallization started at 90 s and completed at 120 s during annealing. Without lanthanum, no matter Cube or {111}< 110 > grains, recrystallized grains nucleated mainly in deformed {111}< 110 > and {113}< 031 > grains. With lanthanum, however, they nucleated in the deformed {110} and {112}< 132 > grains. This indicated that addition of lanthanum changed the micro-orientation relationship between new grains and the matrix.