Recrystallisation textures in cold rolled low carbon steel containing ferritic and bainitic microstructures

Low carbon steel strip was heat treated to generate four different starting microstructures (fine and coarse polygonal ferrite, acicular ferrite and bainite) for investigating their influence on texture development during cold rolling and annealing. The starting materials were cold rolled to 50-90% reduction and annealed for various times in the temperature range 853-953 K. The resultant microstructures and textures were examined mainly by electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction. The initial microstructure strongly influenced the crystallographic rotation paths during cold rolling, whereby high strain deformation generated strong {223}< 110 > texture components in the polygonal ferritic microstructures, whereas a strong {001}< 110 > texture was produced in the acicular/bainitic microstructures. Subsequent annealing generated, to varying degrees, the classic {111}< uvw > (gamma-fibre) recrystallisation texture in all materials. Unexpectedly, coarse polygonal ferrite produced the strongest gamma-fibre recrystallisation texture after 70-90% cold rolling reduction. Based on arguments involving the effect of carbon in solution, initial grain size and deformation textures on recrystallisation texture development, it was shown that a strong gamma-fibre texture can indeed be generated in coarse polygonal ferrite.