Effect of Boron Content on the Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Non-oriented Electrical Steels

The effects of boron content in the range of 0-0.0082 wt%, on the inclusion type, microstructurc, texture and magnetic properties of non-oriented electrical steels have been studied. After final annealing, the addition of excess boron（w（B0〉0.004 1 wt%） led to the formation of Fe2B particles. As boron content increased, grain size increased and reached a maximum in steel with 0.004 1 wt% boron. Furthermore, steel containing 0.004 1 wt% boron had the strongest { 100} fiber texture, Goss texture and the weakest { 111 } fiber texture among the five tested steels. Flux density firstly rapidly increased and then suddenly decreased with increasing boron content and reached a maximum in steel with 0.004 1 wt% boron. Conversely, core loss first sharply decreased and then abruptly increased with the increase of boron content and reached a minimum in steel containing 0.004 1 wt% boron. Steel containing 0.004 1 wt% boron obtained the best magnetic properties, predominantly through the development of optimum grain size and favorable texture.

Control of nonmetallic inclusions of non-oriented silicon steel sheets by the rare earth treatment

Based on the industrial production of non-oriented silicon steel, the rare earth （RE） treatment during the Ruhrstahl Heraeus （RH） refining process was studied. The morphology and the size distribution were observed for the steel specimens treated with different RE treatment conditions. Furthermore, the formation and change of the nonmetallic inclusion characteristics of finished steel sheets after the RE treatment were discussed. The results have shown that in the present work,the suitable RE metal additions are 0.6 -0.9 kg/t steel. After the suitable RE treatment,the formation of AIN and MnS inclusions were restrained, and the aggregation, flotation and removal of nonmetallic inclusions were efficiently promoted and the cleanliness of liquid steel was significantly increased. Meanwhile, the total oxygen concentration reached the minimum value and thle desulfurization efficiency was optimal ,and the type of main inclusions was approximately spherical or elliptical spherical RE radicle inclusions whose size was relatively large.

Effects of calcium treatment on non-metallic inclusions and magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel sheets

Based on the industrial production of non-oriented silicon steel,calcium treatment by CaSi wire feeding during the RH refining process was studied. The thermodynamics of CaS inclusion formation was analyzed, and the morphology and the size distribution were observed. Furthermore, the change in inclusion characteristics after calcium treatment and the effect of calcium treatment on magnetic properties were discussed. The results show that the formation of MnS and A1N inclusions were restrained, and the aggregating, floating and removing of microinclusions after calcium treatment were effectively promoted. The cleanliness of liquid steel was obviously increased. The main type of inclusions was single phase of CaO, with some complex inclusions composed of CaO, SiO2 and MgO. No CaS inclusion was observed after an appropriate calcium treatment. The size of all inclusions was distributed in the range of 2 - 20 μm, and the number was about 1.8 × 10^5/mm3. In addition, as an increasing amount of calcium was added,the core loss gradually decreased to a stable level, and the magnetic induction decreased quickly after a slow increase. The optimal calcium treatment mode depends on the chemical composition of steel.

Fatigue Cracking Characterization of High Grade Non-oriented Electrical Steels

The fatigue behavior of 30 WGP1600 non-oriented electrical steel, which is generally used in the motors for electrical vehicles, was investigated. The detailed microstructure and dislocation configurations of the fatigue specimens were examined by OM, SEM, and TEM. The test results showed that fatigue cracks were commonly initiated from the surface grain boundaries, crystals plane, and inclusions. The rapid fatigue crack propagation was characterized by transgranular cleavage fracture, while most transient fracture exhibited ductile tearing characteristics. After cyclic deformation of the non-oriented electrical steels, various dislocation structures, such as short and thick lines, veins, persistent slip bands, cells, and labyrinth, were observed.

High temperature plastic deformation behavior of non-oriented electrical steel

High temperature plastic deformation behavior of non-orientated electrical steel was investigated by Gleeble 1500 thermo-mechanical simulator at strain rate of 0.01-10 s^-1 and high temperature of 500-1 200 ℃. The stress level factor （a）, stress exponent （n）, structural factor （A） and activation energy （Q） of high temperature plastic deformation process of non-orientated electrical steel in different temperature ranges were calculated by the Arrhenius model. The results show that, with dynamic elevation of deformation temperature, phase transformation from α-Fe to γ-Fe takes place simultaneously during plastic deformation, dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization process, leading to an irregular change of the steady flow stress. For high temperature plastic deformation between 500 and 800 ℃, the calculated values of a, n, A, and Q are 0.039 0 MPa 1, 7.93, 1.9× 10^18 s^-1, and 334.8 kJ/mol, respectively, and for high temperature plastic deformation between 1 050 and 1 200 ℃, the calculated values of a, n, A, and Q are 0.125 8 MPa1, 5.29, 1.0 × 10^28 s^-1, and 769.9 kJ/mol, respectively.

Efficiency of Model Induction Motor Using Various Non-Oriented Electrical Steels

The performance of a 3-phase 6-pole 400 W inverter-drive induction motor was investigated using a variety of non-oriented electrical steels for stator core at PWM inverter fundamental wave frequencies of 30 to 300 Hz. There existed an optimum Si content of the material depending on the tooth flux density. Both reduction of material thickness and stress-relief annealing of the stator core improved the motor efficiency. The influence of Si content on the efficiency was small at lower PWM frequencies, while at higher frequencies the motor efficiency increased with increasing Si content. The Cu loss WC increased and the Fe loss Wi counteractiveiy decreasedwith increasing Si content at lower frequencies; while at higher frequencies Wi had dominant effect on the efficiency. Newly developed materials RMA, having lower Fe losses after stress-relief annealing and higher flux densities with lower Si contents, showed motor efficiencies superior to conventional J1S grade materials with comparable Fe losses.

Non-Oriented Fe-Si Thin Strip Produced from Grain Oriented Fe-Si Strip by CSR

The grain oriented silicon strip was rolled by cross shear rolling(CSR)and then annealed to manufacture non-oriented thin silicon strip of high quality.The recrystallization of rolled grain-oriented silicon steel into non-oriented silicon steel was studied.For this purpose,CSR is better than conventional rolling,and the higher the mismatched speed rate is,the better the properties of the non-oriented thin silicon strip are.The optimum annealing schedule is heating at 1 000 ℃for 1hin pure hydrogen atmosphere added with H2 S of 0.001 0 %.

Development history and technological progress of non-oriented electrical steel sheets at Baosteel

This paper briefly summarized the development history, product catalogue and magnetic properties of non- oriented electrical steel sheets at Baosteel, as well as the development and application of high-value-added steel grades. Recent advances in manufacturing electrical steel sheets were also introduced, including technologies for controlling inclusion,for producing high-grade steel strips by a tandem rolling mill and for controlling the transverse thickness difference of steel sheets, and the development of environmentally friendly coatings.

Transverse thickness difference control technology for non-oriented silicon steel

Transverse thickness difference is an important quality index of non-oriented silicon steel strips. In order to fulfill users＇ accuracy requirements on the transverse thickness of silicon steel and improve the production yield, the factors influencing transverse thickness difference were analyzed. Then the work roll shape, control strategy and incoming hot-rolled strips were optimized. Since the optimization measures were implemented in the actual production, the thickness difference of non-oriented silicon steel has been reduced greatly and fulfilled the requirements placed by users. These measures have achieved remarkable effects.

Characteristics and application of Baosteel's Cr-free ultrathick J coat for non-oriented silicon steel sheets

Baosteel＇ s Cr-free ultrathick J coat for non-oriented silicon steel sheets has excellent insulation performance and has been successfully applied to middle and large scale electric power trains and wind electric power devices, which have stricter requirements than typical for coat insulation. In this paper, the characteristics and application of this type of coating for non-oriented silicon steel sheets were described in detail.

Manufacture and application of a Cr-free insulation coat for non-oriented silicon steel sheets

The manufacturing techniques of a Cr-free coat for non-oriented silicon steel sheets with excellent magnetic properties were developed. The ingredients of the coat mainly include phosphate, epoxy resin, an amine solidified agent and water. Through the adjustment of ingredients, superior adhesiveness, corrosion-resistance performance, welding performance and stamping preformance have been obtained. Thus ,the non-oriented silicon steel sheets with the above Cr-free coat have been used successfully in the fields of compressors ,transformers, and small and medium motors.

Effect of lanthanum on inclusions in non-oriented electrical steel slabs

The effect of lanthanum on the characteristics of inclusions in the slab of non-oriented electrical steels was investigated through industrial trials and thermodynamic analysis.The number,size,and chemical composition of inclusions in the surface,one-quarter of thickness and the center of slabs with and without lanthanum addition were statistically analyzed using an automatic inclusion analysis system.In the lanthanum-free slab,inclusions were predominately MgO.Al_(2)O_(3),MgO,and AlN as well as a small number of Al_(2)O_(3)-MgO-CaO and MgS.The number densities of oxide inclusions and AlN decreased from the surface to the center of the slab,which was ascribed to the difference in cooling intensity during the continuous casting.In the steel with lanthanum addition,inclusions were modified into LaAlO_(3) and La_(2)O_(2)S and gradually transformed into dual-phase MgO-La_(2)S3 with an increasing distance from the slab surface due to the reaction between the lanthanum-containing inclusion and the steel matrix.The uneven distribution of oxide inclusions along the thickness of the slab was eliminated in the lanthanum-bearing slab because the dissolved oxygen was remarkably decreased by lanthanum.Lanthanum-bearing inclusions were more likely to agglomerate AlN by inducing the heterogeneous nucleation of AlN on their surface,while small-size MgO.Al_(2)O_(3) inclusions hardly showed a coarsening effect on the size of AlN.

Understanding thermal compression and deformation behavior of 3.15 wt.%Si non-oriented electrical steels prepared by sub-rapid solidification

Sub-rapid solidification has the potential to enhance the columnar structure and the magnetic property of electrical steels.However,research on the hot deformation behavior of sub-rapid solidified non-oriented electrical steel,particularly at varying strain rates,has yet to be fully understood.The effect of thermal compression on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 3.15 wt.%Si non-oriented electrical steel strips produced through a strip casting simulator was systematically investigated.The findings reveal that increasing the deformation temperature enhances grain recrystallization,while the peak stress decreases with higher temperature.Furthermore,a lower strain rate favors dynamic recrystallization and reduces thermal stress.It can be seen that sub-rapid solidification can effectively reduce the thermal activation energy of non-oriented electrical steel,and the thermal activation energy is calculated to be 204.411 kJ/mol.In addition,the kinetic models for the dynamic recrystallization volume fraction of the studied 3.15 wt.%Si non-oriented electrical steel were established.

Role of texture before rolling: a research based on texture and magnetic properties of 4.5 wt.% Si non-oriented electrical steel

The evolution of microstructure,texture,and magnetic properties with random texture,near-copper texture,weak near-cube texture,and strong λ fiber(<001>/ND(normal direction))before rolling of non-oriented electrical steel was studied.Three recrystallized hot bands with different textures but similar grain sizes were prepared by pre-annealing at low-temperature and high-temperature normalization annealing.It was observed that the final annealed products exhibited similar recrystallized microstructures.By contrast,the final annealed product with more 2 fiber before rolling exhibited a stronger cube texture.With the fiber before rolling becoming stronger,the proportion of(111)<110>deformed matrices became larger,which could be observed in the early recrystallization stage.The overwhelmingly dominant 2 orientation nuclei are formed in the(111)<110>deformed matrix and become the dominant texture.Eventually,the best magnetic properties are obtained in the products with strong 2 fiber before rolling,corresponding to the strong cube texture and low anisotropyparameter.

Effect of lanthanum content on microstructure and magnetic properties of non-oriented electrical steels

The effect of lanthanum content in the range of 04）.01 1 wt.%, on the inclusion size distribution, microstructure, texture and magnetic properties of three non-oriented electrical steels was studied. After final annealing, lanthanum effectively inhibited the precipitation of MnS precipitates in steel, the formations of La2O2S and LaS inclusions not only acted as nuclei of AlN precipitates, but also combined with A1203 and formed composite inclusions with larger size. Grain size firstly increased and then decreased with lanthanum content increasing. Steel containing 0.0066 wt.% lanthanum obtained the largest grain size, the strongest { 110} 〈 110〉 texture and the weakest { 112}〈110〉 texture among all the tested steels. Magnetic flux density firstly increased and then decreased, core loss firstly dramatically decreased and then slightly decreased with lanthanum content increasing. Among the three tested steels, steel with 0.0066 wt.% lanthanum demonstrated the best comprehensive magnetic properties mainly through the development of favorable texture and appropriate final grain size.

Effects of Sn Addition on Core Loss and Texture of Non-Oriented Electrical Steels

The effects of Sn addition on core loss and texture of non-oriented electrical steels were investigated. Experiments revealed that the core loss of non-oriented electrical steels could be obviously decreased and the intensity of {111 } texture and { 112} texture of final annealed specimens could be markedly reduced by Sn addition. The reasons for reducing core loss and the intensity of unfavorable texture were analyzed.

Calculation of AlN and MnS Precipitation in Non-Oriented Electrical Steel Produced by CSP Process

Combining with the study of analogue experiments and test analysis, the kinetics of precipitation and growth of AlN and MnS in non-oriented electrical steel produced by the CSP process is calculated. The results show that the precipitate phase particles of AlN and MnS in typical non-oriented electrical steel grades produced by the CSP process have grown to some extent in the soaking stage, but the precipitation contents are less than 20% of the total contents of nitride and sulfide. The precipitate phase particles of AlN and MnS have precipitated almost after the hot rolling process. The precipitation contents are more than 80% of the total contents of nitride and sulfide, but it is very late for the precipitate phase particles to grow at the end of the hot rolling process.

Effect of lanthanum on recrystallization behavior of non-oriented silicon steel

Non-oriented silicon steels containing different mass fractions of lanthanum were prepared using a high-frequency suspended furnace.Microstructures were observed by a metallographic microscope and micro-orientations were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope（SEM）.The results showed that at the annealing temperature of 870℃,recrystallization started at 90 s and completed at 120 s during annealing.Without lanthanum,no matter Cube or {111 }110 grains,recrystallized grains nucleated mainly in deformed {111}110 and {113}031 grains.With lanthanum,however,they nucleated in the deformed {110} and {112}132grains.This indicated that addition of lanthanum changed the micro-orientation relationship between new grains and the matrix.

Effect of Heating Rate on Microstructure Evolution and Magnetic Properties of Cold Rolled Non-Oriented Electrical Steel

The effects of heating rate （ranging from 50 to 300 ℃/s） during the final annealing process on microstructure evolution and magnetic properties of cold rolled non-oriented electrical steel were investigated. It was found that increasing heating rate increased the nucleation temperature and complete recrystallization temperature. At the same time, heating rate increasing could cause the substantially refined structures for the recrystallization grains and this grain refinement would decline when the heating rate was beyond 50 ℃/s. The recrystallization texture exhibited pronounced improvement with heating rate, such as the intensity decrease of 〈111〉//ND （normal direction） fiber and the intensity increase of { 110}%〈001〉 Goss texture component. The texture improvement and grain size refinement caused by heating rate increasing resulted in complicated variation of the magnetic properties. The magnetic induction （B50） keeps increasing while heating rate increases from 15 to 300 ℃/s which is due to the recrystallized texture optimization caused by rapid heating. The core losses （P1.5/50） decrease while heating rate increases from 15 to 100 ℃/s; however, the core losses would increase when heating rate is higher than 100 ℃/s, which is caused by the mean grain size refinement after rapid heating annealing. The results indicate that recrystallization texture and the magnetic properties of the non-oriented electrical steel can be improved definitely by rapid heating during the final annealing treatment.

AlN Precipitates and Microstructure in Non-oriented Electrical Steels Produced by Twin-roll Casting Process

Aluminum nitride （AIN） precipitates and microstructure of 4 wt.% （Si＋AI） non-oriented electrical steel were investigated. The 2.0 mm thick cast strips with three different silicon/aluminum （Si/AI） ratios were produced by twin-roll casting process, then the strips were reheated, warm rolled, cold rolled and annealed. The microstructure and AIN precipitates were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that with the increase of Si/AI ratio, on the one hand, the casting microstructure changed from columnar grains to equiaxed grains, and the uniformity of annealed microstructure was improved; On the other hand, the number of AIN precipitates in cast strips reduced meanwhile the distribution became dispersed. By the reheat treatment, the size and distribution of the AIN precipitates can be changed. Moreover, the grain size of the annealed strips is in the range of 20-50 #m, at the same time, many AIN precipitates were located at grain boundaries. Therefore, controlling the Si/AI ratio is a simple method to obtain desired microstructure. Then AIN precipitates in non-oriented electrical steel prepared by twin-roll casting process hinder markedly the recrystallized grains growth, A compatible reheat treatment can be an approach worth exploring to control the behavior of AIN precipitates.