INFLUENCE OF SOLUTION TREATMENT ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE AND CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC TEXTURE OF COLD-ROLLED AND RECRYSTALLIZED LOW-CARBON STEEL

The effects of solution treatment on the texture and microstructure of cold rolled (epsilon = 80%) and recrystallised (T = 650 degrees C, sa lt bath) low carbon steel (mass content of 0.032%C) were studied using both specimens having a maximum amount of carbon in solution and spec imens in the as-hot-rolled state. For the investigations X-ray texture measurements and TEM observations were performed. Deformation was mor e inhomogeneous in specimens with carbon in solution. In such specimen s a strong tendency to the formation of shear bands was observed at pl astic strains in excess of 50%. The specimens with little carbon in so lution showed only few shear bands. Increasing contents of carbon in s olution led to a degradation of the orientation density of the typical cold rolling texture components. This was attributed to the inhomogen eity of deformation, e.g. the formation of shear bands. The highest te ndency to shear band formation was observed in {111}<112> oriented gra ins. The development of shear bands in the deformation microstructure was interpreted in terms of Taylor theory. The {111} <uvw> recrystalli sation texture of samples with carbon in solution was weaker than in c onventionally prepared samples. This observation was explained in term s of random nucleation in the inhomogeneously deformed microstructure and solute drag effects.