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Enhanced Grain Growth Behavior of Ferritic Steel during Continuous Cyclic Annealing
Author(s) -
Hou Ziyong,
Babu R. Prasath,
Xu Yunbo,
Wu Di
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
steel research international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.603
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1869-344X
pISSN - 1611-3683
DOI - 10.1002/srin.201800222
Subject(s) - annealing (glass) , materials science , isothermal process , grain growth , metallurgy , grain size , grain boundary , composite material , microstructure , thermodynamics , physics
Microstructural characterization as well as mechanical property determination of a cold‐rolled ferritic steel subjected to isothermal and cyclic non‐isothermal annealing, has been carried out by utilizing comprehensive experimental analysis. The findings show that the variables of cyclic annealing, that is, amplitude, ramp rate, and intermediate holding time exhibit a great effect on the grain growth kinetics and the evolution of grain boundaries. The resulting grain size of the cyclic annealed steel is mainly attributed to the following factors: 1) the accelerating effect in the grain growth behavior caused by the additional driving force available during cyclic annealing, which increases with increasing amplitude; 2) the retarding effect due to the low equivalent isothermal temperature. Furthermore, the formation of low Σ‐ coincidence site lattice (ΣCSL) boundaries and the strength of γ‐fiber texture are enhanced through the cyclic annealing compared to the isothermal annealing. The potential advantages of continuous cyclic annealing in the steel industry are explored, in comparison with the conventional isothermal and cyclic annealing with an intermediate soaking time.