Interfacial segregation, nucleation and texture development in 3% silicon steel

Abstract In inhibitor-free 3% Si–Fe alloys containing sulfur, the matter which the final main texture after annealing becomes among the {1 0 0}〈u v w〉, {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 and {1 1 0}〈u v w〉 components depends on the combination of various factors: final reduction, heating rate, flow rate of hydrogen and bulk content of sulfur. With increasing final reduction and heating rate, the final main texture after annealing tends to be transited from the {1 1 0}〈u v w〉 to the {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 and then followed by the {1 0 0}〈u v w〉 component. This is due to the active surface-energy-induced selective growth of the {1 0 0}〈u v w〉 grains that makes the survival and selective growth of the {1 1 0} grains difficult. On the viewpoints of the nucleation and the selective growth, a higher flow rate of hydrogen and a lower bulk content of sulfur may result in the transition in final main texture of the {1 0 0}〈u v w〉 to the {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 and subsequently to the {1 1 0}〈u v w〉 component after annealing.