Texture evolution in twin-roll strip cast non-oriented electrical steel with strong Cube and Goss texture

Increasing magnetically favorable <100>//ND texture components is a key challenge in the preparation of high-efficiency non-oriented electrical steels. In this study, an Fe-1.3 wt% Si steel with strong Cube ({100}<001>) and Goss ({110}<001>) texture was successfully produced by novel twin-roll strip casting, cold rolling and annealing process. The microstructure and texture of the material was characterized by optical microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The origin and formation mechanism of texture are described from the perspective of deformation and recrystallization behavior of specifically oriented grains. It was observed that initial Cube rotated toward {013}<031>-{110}<110> besides rotation toward {001}<130>-{001}<120> during cold rolling. In addition, new Cube deformation bands were developed in the deformed {115}<051>-{115}<161> grains. Cube components were partly retained as large block, small band structure and crystallite after heavy cold rolling. The Cube deformation structures served as nucleation sites of new Cube grains. The shear band within {114}<110>, {112}<110> and {111}<112> matrix also provided some Cube nuclei. Morphology change from near bar-shaped to equiaxed occurred during the growth of Cube and Goss grains. The formation of recrystallization texture is attributed to the oriented nucleation mechanism, and the orientation pinning and size effects that impacted the intensity of texture component. The low thickness of strip and coarse solidification microstructure with strong {100} texture are the decisive factors to obtain strong Cube and Goss texture in strip-cast non-oriented electrical steel.