Recovery and Grain Growth in a 2% Si - 0.3% Al - 0.003%C Steel

Abstract
The scope of our investigation covered the effect of carbon on the processes of recovery and grain growth in cold-rolled non-oriented silicon steel, of laboratory and industrial provenance. Decarburized and non-decarburized cold-rolled electrical steels were annealed in a deoxidized lead bath in the temperature range from 550 to 800°C. The microstructure was examined and average grain size assessed. The process of recovery was investigated on specimens annealed at lower temperatures by measurement of hardness. Industrially manufactured samples of non-oriented sheet were used for comparison. The sheets of both industrial and laboratory manufacture were decarburized by annealing in wet hydrogen with different dew points at temperatures ranging from 800 to 860°C. The rate of decarburization was controlled by chemical analysis of carbon.