Microstructure and texture evolution during cold rolling and annealing of a high Mn TWIP steel

The microstructure during cold rolling and annealing of a low-stacking fault energy austenitic Fe-Mn-C alloy was studied by means of electron microscopy. The contribution of both slip and microtwinning to the development of a brass-type cold-rolling texture was illustrated. During subsequent recrystallization annealing, a retained rolling texture was observed. It was shown that the mechanism behind this phenomenon was based on the nucleation and growth of the recrystallized state without preferred orientation in an energetically relatively homogeneous microstructure. (C) 2008 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.