New process for production of ultra-thin grain oriented silicon steel

The Hi-B silicon steels were cold rolled by cross shear rolling (CSR) with different mismatch speed ratio(MSR)s and conventional rolling(CR) respectively, followed by primary recrystallization annealing. The effects of MSR and annealing temperature on magnetic properties of ultra-thin grain oriented silicon steel were analyzed. Experimental results show that, with the increase of MSR, the magnetic properties can be remarkably improved. The higher the annealing temperature is, the higher the magnetic induction and the lower the iron loss in ultra-thin silicon steel is.

Texture Characteristics of Thin Grain Oriented Silicon Steel Sheet Produced by Cross Shear Rolling

Commercial grain oriented silicon steel was cold rolled to thickness from 0.06 to 0.10 mm by cross shear rolling, then annealed in vacuum or a hydrogen atmosphere furnace. Deformation textures of the sheets were researched by ODF method and reverse pole figure quantitative analyses. The results indicate that: in the condition of the cross shear rolling, the deformation texture of rolled sheet is generally similar to that of conventional rolled sheet, however, the texture distribution through the thickness is asymmetrical. With mismatch speed ratio increasing, the amount of Goss texture increases. With reduction ratio increasing, the intensity of γ-fiber becomes strong.

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.

Effects of Primary Annealing Condition on Recrystallization Texture in a Grain Oriented Silicon Steel

The recrystallization texture in grain oriented silicon steel sheets, which were annealed at different primary annealingtemperatures with and without an electric field, was investigated. An automated electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD) technique was used to analyze the recrystallization texture. It was found that recovery and application ofelectric field in primary annealing lead to an increase of {001} component and a decrease of {111} component afterannealing at 900℃. The development of recrystallization texture can be explained in terms of the effects of electricfield and primary annealing temperature on recovery.

STUDY ON REDUCING THE CORE LOSS OF GRAIN ORIENTED SILICON STEEL AND IMPROVING ITS AGING PROPERTY BY LASER NITRIDING TECHNIQUE IN ATMOSPHERIC AMBIENT

CW-CO2 laser nitriding technique was applied to improve the properties （such as aging property and the core loss） of grain oriented silicon steel. The samples were nitrided with regular space. Laser power density and scanning speed were chosen as 7.8×10^5W·cm^-2 and 100mm·min^-1. By some laser irradiation, Fe4N and Fe3N were formed in the nitrided zone. The nitrided samples were annealed at the temperatures ranged from 100 to 90℃. The core loss of some interested samples was tested. The results show that the core loss of the nitrided samples with different thickness of 0.23 and 0.30mm decreased by 14.9% and 9.4% respectively, and the aging property were improved up to 800℃. The mechanism of laser nitriding to improve the properties of grain oriented silicon steel is discussed.

Primary Recrystallization of Grain Oriented Silicon Steel Strip Rolled by CSR and Annealed in Magnetic Field

The magnetic properties and textures of grain oriented silicon steel with different thickness rolled by cross shear rolling （CSR） of different mismatched speed ratio （MSR） and annealed in magnetic field under hydrogen were presented.Effects of the factors such as thickness and mismatched speed ratio on the magnetic properties and recrystallization texture were analyzed and the recrystallization principles in magnetic field annealing were discussed. The study would provide a new route for mass production of high quality ultra-thin grain oriented silicon steel strip.

Analysis of oxide layer structure in nitrided grain-oriented silicon steel

The production of low-temperature reheated grain-oriented silicon steel is mainly based on the acquired inhibitor method.Due to the additional nitriding process,a high nitrogen content exists in the oxide layer,which changes the structure of the oxide layer.In this study,the structure of the surface oxide layer after nitriding was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD),glow discharge spectrometry(GDS),and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The size and orientation of ferritic grains in the oxide layer were characterized,and the distribution characteristics of the key elements along the thickness direction were determined.The results show that the oxide layer of the steel sample mainly comprised particles of Fe2SiO4 and spherical and lamellar SiO2,and Fe4N and fcc-Fe phases were also detected.Moreover,the size and orientation of ferritic grains in the oxide layer were different from those of coarse matrix ferritic grains beneath the oxide layer;however,some ferritic grains exhibited same orientations as those in the neighboring matrix.Higher nitrogen content was detected in the oxide layer than that in the matrix beneath the oxide layer.The form of nitrogen enrichment in the oxide layer was analyzed,and the growth mechanism of ferritic grains during the oxide layer formation is proposed.

Recent Developments in the Study on Oriented Silicon Steel Sheets

Over the past several decades, the texture, properties and manufacture of quality silicon steels have been investigated for application in magnetic devices requiring magnetically soft materials, such as transformers, inductive devices, etc. Most recently, the factors effecting the texture and magnetic properties, e.g. impurities, rolling process and annealing process, have been greatly studied. The benefits of this study are that low core loss silicon steels with stable high-performance can be obtained through an economic production process. This review is intended to summarize the recent developments in the texture, properties, manufacture and application of oriented silicon steel sheets.

Effect of Magnesia Blending on the Magnetic Properties of Grain Oriented Silicon Steel

Decarburized samples of grain oriented silicon steel were coated with alone and blended magnesias and submitted to the high temperature annealing. The magnesias and their blendings were characterized using granulometry measurements, ignition loss and reactivity tests. After high temperature annealing, forsterite film morphology, magnetic properties and Goss deviation were also analyzed. Better magnetic properties and sharper Goss orientation were found in samples which had used blended magnesias. These results are explained by the magnesias particle size distributions, forsterite film formation and rate of inhibitors release.

Development of top high-grade non-grain-oriented silicon steels at Baosteel

The development, production and application of top high-grade non-grain-oriented （NGO） silicon steels at Baosteel were introduced in this paper. Top high grades refer to the highest grades in the intemational silicon steel product standard and above. B35A230 and B50A250 were developed at Baosteel in 2009 and have been used in inverter compressors for air-conditioners, small transformers and big hydropower generators in the Three Gorges project. Small- batch production of B35A210 and B50A230, which exceed the highest grades listed in the intemational silicon steel product standard,began in 2010. That was a breakthrough in the silicon steel making history in China. Presently,Baosteel＇ s high- grade NGO products have passed the strict qualifications of the three major electric power equipment manufacturers in China and the leading international power equipment suppliers like ALSTOM, GE, SIEMENS, VESTAS, etc. These products are characterized by low iron loss, low anisotropy, good punchability and a high lamination factor. They have been used in the 770 MW hydropower generator at Xiluodu Power Station in the three gorges area, 1 000 MW thermal power generators and 2.5 MW wind power generators.

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.

Optimizing Domain Distribution of Grain Oriented Silicon Steel by Using Antimony as the Laser Surface Alloying Element

For reducing the core loss of grain oriented silicon steel and improving its aging property, a new method, the LLSA by using Sb as the laser surface alloying element, was investigated, and at proper technique conditions rather good result was obtained.

Effect of Ball Scribing on Power Loss Separation of Fe-3%Si Grain-oriented Silicon Steel

Power loss of Fe-3%Sigrain-oriented silicon steelwas measured after ballscribing with different spacing using a self-designed tool.Three different sections of power loss,including hysteresis loss,abnormalloss,and eddy current loss,were measured and calculated,respectively.The loss variation and ratio were analyzed based on the experimentaldata.At 1.0 T,hysteresis loss of tested steelwith scribing spacing of 8 mm descends by 8.2% compared to samples without scribing,which is similar to the totalloss variation,and abnormalloss descends by 16.8%.At 1.0 T,hysteresis loss ratio of the steelwith scribing spacing of 16 mm ascends from 55.7% to 57.9%,and eddy current loss increases from 17.4% to 24.1%,while abnormalloss descends from 26.9% to 23.7%.The experimentalresults show that the reduction of power loss after scribing is mainly due to decreasing of hysteresis loss and abnormalloss.

Secondary Recrystallization Behaviors of Grain-Oriented 6.5 wt% Silicon Steel Sheets Produced by Rolling and Nitriding Processes

By rolling and nitriding processes, 0.23- to 0.3-mm-thick grain-oriented 6.5 wt% silicon steel sheets were produced. The core losses of grain-oriented 6.5 wt% silicon steel at frequencies ranging from 400 Hz to 20 kHz were lower than that of the grain-oriented 3 wt% silicon steel with the same thickness by 16.6-35.8%. The secondary recrystallization behavior was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron backscattered diffraction. The results show that the secondary recrystallization in high-silicon steel sheets develops more completely as the nitrogen content increases after nitriding, secondary recrystallized grain sizes become larger, and the sharpness of Goss texture increases. Because more { 110} （116） grains in the subsurface and the central layer of the sheets have a lot of 20°-45° high-energy boundaries in addition to Goss grains, {110} （116） can be the main component through selective growth during secondary recrystallization when the inhibitor quantity is not enough and inhibitor intensity is weaker. The increases in nitrogen content can increase the inhibitor intensity and hinder abnormal growth of a mount of {110} （116） grains and therefore enhance the sharpness of Goss texture.

Fe-3%Si平面流铸带平整轧制退火过程中组织织构演变

采用平面流铸技术制备了Fe-3%Si无取向硅钢极薄带,研究了平面流铸Fe-3%Si薄带平整轧制与退火处理的组织织构演变规律。结果表明,平面流铸带具有大比率的柱状晶组织,{100}取向晶粒占比高于30%,也即存在对磁性能有益的{100}织构。小压下率冷轧平整过程中,晶粒取向变化及晶内取向分裂程度整体不高,形变行为存在取向依赖性。{100}取向晶粒形变储能积累程度相对较低,经退火处理后该组分体现出遗传优势,在退火组织中占比仍超过30%。退火组织中小尺寸晶粒有所增加,且绝大部分小尺寸晶粒偏离{100}取向,这导致了退火组织平均晶粒尺寸降低,并在一定程度上弱化{100}织构。

Goss Texture Evolution of Grain Oriented Silicon Steel by High-Energy X-ray Diffraction

High energy synchrotron diffraction offers great potential to study the recrystallization kinetics of metallic materials. To study the formation of Goss texture （{ [10}（001）） of grain oriented （GO） silicon steel during secondary recrystallization process, an in situ experiment using hi gh energy X-ray diffraction was designed. The results showed that the secondary recrystallization began when the heating temperature was 1,494 K, and the grains grew rapidly above this temperature. With an increase in annealing temperature, the large grains with 7 orientation [〈111〉//normal direction] formed and gradually occupied the dominant position. As the annealing temperature increased even further, the grains with Goss orientation to a very large size by devouring the 7 orientation grains that formed in the early annealing stage. A single crystal with a Goss orientation was observed in the GO silicon steel when the annealing temperature was 1,540 K.

Morphologies and Influential Factors of Forsterite Film in Grain-Oriented Silicon Steel

The product quality of graiworiented silicon steel may be affected by each process because of its complicat- ed production technology. Morphologies, compositions and structures of forsterite film formed in different conditions on the samples subjected to high temperature annealing were measured by using a scanning electron microscope, an energy disperse spectroscope, an X ray diffractometer and Fourier transform infrared technique respectively. The morphologies and influential factors of forsterite film were investigated. The results showed that the major compo- nent of forsterite film composed of light-gray spherical particles was Mg2 SiO4, and the minor was MgAl2O4. If the amount of MgO coated on the surface of the steel was less, bare holes or even large-scale bare grains for forsterite film appeared. The higher temperature of water bath during decarburization annealing led to gaps of strips in forster ite film. Moreover, MgO coating method had great influence on forsterite film. Roller coating method was beneficial to increase compactness and smoothness of forsterite film, but was disadvantageous to its thickness.

Correlation between Primary and Secondary Recrystallization Texture Components in Low-temperature Reheated Grain-oriented Silicon Steel

Low-temperature slab-reheated grain-oriented silicon steel is characterized by a sharp {411}〈148〉 primary recrystallization texture. To date, the influence of this texture on secondary recrystallization is not clear. Microtextures in primary and secondary reerystallized sheets of low-temperature reheated grain-oriented silicon steel were examined using electron backscatter diffraction. By comparing the textures and microstructures of specific primary reerystallized grains neighboring secondary grains with those of other primary grains, the influences of primary re- crystallization textures and microstructures on the orientations of secondary grains were investigated. Results show that for low-temperature reheated graiworiented silicon steel, the primary recrystallization sheet comprises { 411 } 〈148〉, {111}〈112〉, and {001}〈120〉 texture componems. During secondary recrystallization, the {111}〈112〉 primary recrystallized grains were easily consumed by abnormally grown Goss, deviated Goss, Brass, or {210}〈001〉grains ;the { 411 }〈148〉 primary recrystallized grains were more resistant to being swallowed; and the {001} 〈120 grains were the most resistant to being consumed. For a particular primary grain, the distribution of its surrounding grain boundaries determined how easily it is consumed during secondary recrystallization. Primary grains surrounded by 20°- 45° grain boundaries were consumed much earlier than those having grain boundaries above 45°, which is in accordance with high-energy grain boundary theory. In addition, special ∑9 boundaries between {411}〈148〉 and Goss grains move more slowly than ∑9 boundaries between {111 }〈112〉 and Goss grains, which is attributed to the different positions of 〈110〉 rotation axis with respect to the normals of grain boundaries.

Effects of Normalizing Annealing on Grain-oriented Silicon Steel

The grain-oriented silicon steel is a kind of important magnetic materials with low iron loss and high induc tion. Hot hand normalizing annealing is an important process which influences the microstructure and the development of the inhibitors. The effects of different annealing temperatures and cooling conditions on the inhibitors and microstructures of normalizing annealing band were investigated. The microstructure and different kinds of the inhibitors, i. e. , A1N, AIN＋Cu, S＋MnS, and TiN, were discovered. The result shows that a suitable cooling condition leads to more nano scale inhibitors and uniform microstructure of the normalizing annealing band and consequently results in better magnetic properties.

Microstructure,texture and precipitates of grain-oriented silicon steel produced by thin slab casting and rolling process

A grain-oriented silicon steel strip with AlN as main inhibitor was produced by thin slab casting and rolling（TSCR）process.The microstructure,texture and precipitates of the hot-rolled strip were investigated by use of optical microscope（OM）,X-ray diffractometer,transmission electron microscope（TEM）and energy dispersive spectroscope（EDS）.The result shows that the microstructure and texture exhibit a through-thickness gradient similar to that of the hot-rolled strip produced by conventional high-temperature slab-reheating process;the preferred orientation varies from {110}〈001〉in the surface layer to{001}〈110〉in the center layer,and the Goss texture with a maximum intensity mainly concentrates on the surface layer.In addition,some other texture components,for example rotated Goss texture,form in the 1/4thickness layer,which are not observed in the hotrolled strip produced by conventional high-temperature slab-reheating process.The precipitates in the hot-rolled strip are mainly（Mn,Cu）S and AlN compound particles with dimension of 100-200 nm,and the fine precipitates are significantly less than that in the hot-rolled strip produced by conventional high-temperature slab-reheating process.Moreover,the areal density of the fine precipitates in the center layer is more than that in the surface layer.