Monte Carlo study on abnormal growth of Goss grains in Fe-3%Si steel induced by second-phase particles

The selective abnormal growth of Goss grains in magnetic sheets of Fe-3%Si （grade Hi-B） induced by second-phase particles （AlN and MnS） was studied using a modified Monte Carlo Ports model. The starting microstructures for the simulations were generated from electron backscatter diffraction （EBSD） orientation imaging maps of recrystallized samples. In the simulation, second-phase particles were assumed to be randomly distributed in the initial microstructures and the Zener drag effect of particles on Goss grain boundaries was assumed to be selectively invalid because of the unique properties of Goss grain boundaries. The simulation results suggest that normal growth of the matrix grains stagnates because of the pinning effect of particles on their boundaries. During the onset of abnormal grain growth, some Goss grains with concave boundaries in the initial microstructure grow fast abnormally and other Goss grains with convex boundaries shrink and eventually disappear.

Simulation of recrystallization based on EBSD data using a modified Monte Carlo model that considers anisotropic effects in cold-rolled ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel

A Monte Carlo Potts model was developed to simulate the recrystallization process of a cold-rolled ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel.The orientation and image quality data from electron backscatter diffraction measurements were used as input information for simulation.Three types of nucleation mechanisms,namely,random nucleation,high-stored-energy site nucleation(HSEN),and high-angle boundary nucleation(HABN),were considered for simulation.In particular,the nucleation and growth behaviors of Goss-oriented({011}<100>)grains were investigated.Results showed that Goss grains had a nucleation advantage in HSEN and HABN.The amount of Goss grains was the highest according to HABN,and it matched the experimental measurement.However,Goss grains lacked a size advantage across all mechanisms during the recrystallization process.

{411}<148> Texture in Thin-Gauge Grain-Oriented Silicon Steel

The significant occupancy of {411}〈148〉texture exists in the thin-gauge grain-oriented silicon steel（TGCRGO is defined that thickness of the sheet is〈0.25 mm and the reduction in cold rolling is more than 90%） which has been considered to have obviously effects on the abnormal growth of Goss-oriented grains during the secondary recrystallization process. The microstructures of the TG-CRGO were investigated by X-ray diffraction and electron back-scattered diffraction in this study. It was found that {411}〈148〉〉texture mainly exists in the center layer of hot-rolled as well as normalized plates.With the increase in cold rolling reduction, {411}〈148〉 orientation gradually rotates to a-fiber texture（〈110〉//RD）.Finally, few {411}〈148〉would retain at the boundaries of deformed a-fiber grains（〈110〉//RD） as the reduction in cold rolling reaches 90%. After annealing treatment, a small amount of c-fiber textures（〈111〉//ND） preferably nucleates and recrystallizes between the DBs（deformation bands） at first; then, the {411}〈148〉 recrystallization texture occurs and mainly nucleates at the grains boundaries of the deformed a-fiber grains, and also quite a few {411}〈148〉orientation grains nucleate in the inner of {112}〈110〉grains. But this phenomenon was not observed in the {100}〈011〉deformation grains.With respect to the occurrence of {411}〈148〉recrystallization texture, it is mainly induced by strong a-fiber as well as weak c-fiber textures formed during cold rolling other than originating from {411}〈148〉 regions in hot bands.