Microstructural evolution in warm-rolled and cold-rolled strip cast 6.5 wt% Si steel thin sheets and its influence on magnetic properties

6.5 wt% Si steel thin sheets were usually fabricated by warm rolling. In our previous work, 6.5 wt% Si steel thin sheets with good magnetic properties had been successfully fabricated by cold rolling based on strip casting. In the present work, the main purposes were to find out the influences of warm rolling and cold rolling on microstructures and magnetic properties of the thin sheets with the thickness of 0.2 mm, and to confirm which rolling method was more suitable for fabricating 6.5 wt% Si steel thin sheets. The results showed that the cold rolled sheet could obtain good surface quality and flatness, while the warm rolled sheet could not. The intensity of gamma-fiber rolling texture (< 111 >// ND) of cold rolled specimen was weaker than that of the warm rolled specimen, especially for the {111}< 112 > component at surface layer and {111}< 110 > component at center layer. After the same annealing treatment, the cold rolled specimen, which had higher stored energy and weaker intensity of gamma-fiber rolling texture, could obtain smaller recrystallization grain size, weaker intensity of gamma-fiber recrystallization texture and stronger intensity of lambda-fiber recrystallization texture. Therefore, due to the good surface quality, smaller recrystallization grain size and optimum recrystallization texture, the cold rolled specimen possessed improved magnetic properties, and cold rolling should be more suitable for fabricating 6.5 wt% Si steel thin sheets. (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.