The Influence of Nb and Ti on the Recrystallization of UHP Iron

The influence of Nb and Ti in solid solution on the recrystallization mechanisms and textures of cold rolled high purity iron has been studied by optical metallography, SEM, microtexture (EBSD) and macrotexture (X-ray) measurements. Two UHP iron based alloys (Fe-0.08 wt% Nb and Fe-0.04 wt% Ti) together with two reference samples of UHP Fe and electrolytic iron, were treated to form an equiaxed grain structure then rolled 81 % to develop standard bcc rolling textures. The recrystallization mechanisms were then studied by partial recrystallization anneals in the temperature range 475 -800°C. The orientations of the new recrystallized grain were essentially a mixture of {111} and {100} parallel to the sheet planes. Carbon, Ti and to a lesser extent, Nb favour the nucleation and growth of {111} planes grains along prior grain boundaries