Coupling Recrystallization and Texture to the Mechanical Properties of Ferritic Stainless Steel Sheet

Abstract

Obtaining optimal mechanical properties for highly formable ferritic stainless steel sheet requires careful control over recrystallization and texture. This is, in some cases, hampered by the slow approach to final recrystallization associated with the disappearance of deformed grains with particular orientations. The important mechanical properties for formability (e.g. the yield strength and r-value) are thus strongly dependent on the final few percent recrystallization. In this study, it has been attempted to correlate the microstructure and texture of ferritic stainless steel sheet to its mechanical properties as measured in uniaxial tension. It is shown that careful consideration of the evolution of texture and microstructure with recrystallization may explain the observed trends.