Computer simulation of microstructure evolution in strip-cast silicon steel with cube and fibre texture

Abstract

Thin strip casting process which is already used for non-oriented grades of electrical steel, is relatively novel processing route for grain oriented electrical steel and to achieve the cube texture through suitable annealing. In the present investigation, a two-dimensional Monte Carlo model has been formulated to study texture evolution in strip-cast and annealed Fe-3.2%Si steel with a cube texture. Both random and non-random microstructures of Fe-3.2% silicon steel and corresponding Euler angles have been used as input parameters. Results obtained from the simulation characterised the evolving texture in terms of grain size distribution and misorientation distribution functions. It has been found that randomly textured microstructures follow power law growth kinetics with evolving grain size distribution similar to normal grain growth. Microstructures with random orientation texture evolve steady state misorientation distribution functions, while those with fibre texture narrows and shifts to low angles. The simulation results based on EBSD microstructure inputs have been compared and validated with microstructures obtained from computationally generated input microstructures as well as published literature for both random and non-random orientation texture and found to be in good agreement.