Surface microstructure evolution during phase transformation on Mn, Al and Si alloyed ultra low carbon steel

Abstract

This paper investigates the surface texture evolution after a short α-γ-αphase transformation annealing in low vacuum on ultra low carbon steel sheets alloyed with high Mn and Al and the cold rolled steel sheets of industrial composition alloyed with silicon. The ultra low carbon steel sheets with high Mn and Al show surface monolayer which has a characteristic surface texture components < 100 > //ND texture and microstructure with special grain morphology. Contrastingly, the industrial composition alloyed with silicon does not show specific surface texture components inspired by surface energy anisotropy at the surface. The composition depth profiling investigations performed on the all steel sheet surface shows that oxidation characteristics of alloying elements at the metal vapour interface have played a decisive influence on surface texture evolution. Further, transformation annealing in higher vacuum reveals that surface texture can be obtained in an industrial composition alloyed with silicon. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.