Texture development during the production of high Si steel by hot dipping and diffusion annealing

Abstract The production of non-oriented high Si and Al electrical steel requires specific processing routes such as hot dipping followed by diffusion annealing. The evolution of texture during the different production steps is described. During the preheating and hot dipping the substrates recrystallize with a typical texture presenting an intense gamma fibre. A Fe 3 Si layer with cubic fibre texture is formed during the hot dipping. After hot dipping the substrate is further cold rolled with different levels of reduction and finally diffusion annealed delivering different final textures depending upon the Si content of the substrate and the thermomechanical processing.