Abstract
The evolutions of crystallographic orientations and textures of a cold-rolled ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel are studied via experimental investigation, texture simulation and orientation evolution calculation. The experimental results show that all components of eta-fiber ({0kl} < 100 >) orientations in raw material demonstrate multi-directional crystal rotation routes during rolling and these initial orientations are retained as small regions distributed within the deformed matrix (mainly {111} < 112 >), and the calculated typical transformation of orientations under the cold rolling condition is in good agreement with the experimental results. The crystal orientation of a grain would rotate to {111} < 112 > after rolling as long as its initial orientation is close to or slightly deviates from exact Goss ({011} < 100 >). When the initial orientations deviates towards {021} < 100 >, the final deformed microstructures mainly turn into deviated eta-fiber or display {113} < 361 > orientations, meanwhile the orientation transition along eta-fiber (rotating about < 100 > axis) during rolling is enhanced. Regarding the effect of surface shear on rolling plane towards rolling direction (RD) in ultra-thin steel production, it is suggested to strengthen {111} < 112 > deformation texture. While for different {0kl} < 100 > components, the same surface shear exerts varied effect on the crystal rotation route, resulting in multiple orientation transition routes in deviated Goss and {021} < 100 > grains under cold-rolling process.