Texture Evolution of Tertiary Oxide Scale during Steel Plate Finishing Hot Rolling Simulation Tests

Abstract

Thin tertiary scale layers have been grown on ULC steel specimens under controlled conditions. After heating under a protective atmosphere (nitrogen), the samples have been oxidised in air for various oxidation times at 1050°C. These experiments are considered a quantitatively and qualitatively reasonable simulation of the scale formation and growth occurring before hot rolling. Immediately after controlled oxidation, some of the samples were subjected to plane strain compression, in order to simulate the finishing hot rolling process. This approach provided a better insight into the deformation behaviour of the tertiary oxide layer in the first hot rolling pass. The layers produced were examined under the SEM using the EBSD technique for texture characterisation and phase morphology determination. The texture of the deformed oxide scales, originally grown on ULC steel at 1050°C, was determined in order to achieve a better understanding of their complex deformation behaviour. This paper gives a first approach of the study of deformed oxides by EBSD. Strongly textured wustite grains with a clearly pronounced columnar structure were observed after oxidation at 1050°C. As the substrate deformation probably affects the oxide layer, orientation relationships between scale layer and substrate were observed. The detailed EBSD study reveals that the oxide layer can accommodate a significant amount of deformation. The oxide layers exhibit good adhesion to the substrate and remain homogeneous over the thickness after compression.