Effect of Recovery Annealing Prior to Recrystallization Annealing on the Texture Evolution of a 3.3% Silicon Steel

Non‐oriented silicon steels containing 0.006 wt% C and 3.3 wt% Si are cold‐rolled, recovery, and recrystallization annealed. The microstructure and texture evolution are analyzed using optical microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and electron backscatter diffraction. In the samples with recovery annealing, strong {021}<100>, {332}<uvw>, and some Goss orientations and λ‐fiber (<001>//normal direction [ND]) are observed, which differs from the texture of non‐oriented silicon steel processed by the cold‐rolling and the subsequent recrystallization annealing. It is shown that the recovery annealing has an obvious effect on the texture evolution during the subsequent recrystallization annealing. The nucleation and growth of the grains with {021}<100>, {332}<uvw>, and λ orientations are promoted, while the typical γ‐fiber (<111>//ND) is dramatically weakened. The results of this study may offer some new ideas for the treatment process for non‐oriented silicon steel.