Influence of Texture on the Mechanical Properties of Hot Rolled Duplex Stainless Steels

This paper reports an investigation of bulk and micro texture in the as cast condition and in hot rolled conditions (50 and 75% thickness reduction) of nitrogen alloyed duplex stainless steel. Bulk texture measurements were carried out using orientation-imaging microscopy (OIM). The micro texture measurements were carried out using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) system for the dual phases; ferrite (alpha) and austenite (gamma). The amount of alpha fiber formation for each reduction is reported under the conditions of before heat treatment (BHT) and after heat treatment (AHT). Individual texture components for both 50 and 75% reduction under the condition of BHT and AHT are also reported. The results reveal that there is a definite improvement in the mechanical properties after reducing the specimen thickness to 75% by hot rolling, followed by heat treatment (solutionizing). This improvement in the mechanical property is correlated with the volume of low angle grain boundaries (EBSD analysis) and with the cleavage facets (SEM analysis).