Influence of Tensile Stress during Annealing on Primary Recrystallization Texture Development in Fe-3%Si Alloy

Primary recrystallization texture strongly influences the magnetic properties of grain-oriented electrical steel through secondary recrystallization. In this study, the effect of applied tensile stress during annealing on grain growth and primary recrystallization texture formation in Fe-3%Si alloy was investigated. It was revealed that grain growth is promoted under the condition of applied tension, and the intensity of {411}<148> orientation increases, while the intensity of {111}<112> orientation decreases. The changes in grain diameters and textures are explained by the normal grain growth with the size advantage of larger {411}<148> grains and disadvantage of smaller {111}<112> grains than the average sized grains. Moreover, KAM value of {111}<112> grains was confirmed to be larger than that of {411}<148> grains after tension annealing. This suggests that the stored energy in {111}<112> grains is larger than that in {411}<148> grains, which would promote the selective growth of {411}<148> grains with SIBM mechanism by consuming {111}<112> grains with relatively higher stored energy.