High temperature deformation of silicon steel

The microstructure and texture development during high temperature plane strain compression of 2% in weight silicon steel was studied. The tests were carried out at a constant strain rate of 5 s−1 with reductions of 25, 35 and 75% at temperatures varying from 800 to 1100 °C. The changes in microstructure and texture were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction. The microstructure close to the surface of the samples was equiaxed, which is attributed to the shear caused by friction, whereas that at the centre of the specimens was made of a mixture of elongated and fine equiaxed grains, the last ones attributed to the action of dynamic recovery followed by recrystallization. It was found that the volume fraction of these equiaxed grains augmented as reduction and temperature increased; a 0.7 volume fraction was accomplished with a 75% reduction at 1100 °C. The texture of the equiaxed and elongated grains was found to vary with the increase of deformation and temperature, as the γ-fibre tends to disappear and the α-fibre to increase towards the higher temperature range.