Annealing Characteristics of Ultrafine Grained Low-Carbon Steel Processed by Differential Speed Rolling Method

The annealing behavior of ultrafine grained ferrite in low-carbon steel (0.18 wt pct C) fabricated using a differential speed rolling (DSR) process was examined by observing the microstructural changes by electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. For this purpose, the samples processed by 4-pass DSR at a roll speed ratio of 1:4 for the lower and upper rolls, respectively, were annealed isochronally at temperatures ranging from 698 K to 898 K (425 °C to 625 °C) for 1 hour. The deformed samples exhibited a complex microstructure in the ferrite phase consisting of an equiaxed structure with a mean grain size of ~0.4 µm and a lamellar structure with a mean lamellar width of ~0.35 µm. The texture evolved during deformation was characterized by the rolling and shear components with specific orientations. After annealing at temperatures lower than 798 K (525 °C), the aspect ratio of the deformed grains tended to shift toward a unit corresponding to the equiaxed shape, whereas the grain size remained unchanged as the annealing temperature increased. At temperatures above 798 K (525 °C), however, some grains with a low dislocation density began to appear, suggesting that the starting temperature of static recrystallization in the severely deformed ferrite grains was 798 K (525 °C). The annealing texture of the present sample after heat treatment showed a uniform fiber texture consisting of α- and γ-components.