Texture Evolution, Formability and Ridging Resistance of a Sn-bearing Ferritic Stainless Steel Under Different Hot Band Annealing Temperatures

The microstructure, texture evolution and spatial orientation distribution during cold rolling and the subsequent annealing as well as formability and ridging of a Sn-bearing ferritic stainless steel under different hot band annealing temperatures were investigated. The four hot bands with annealing temperatures of 900, 950, 1000 and 1050 °C were all cold-rolled to 80% reductions and then were annealed at the same temperature of 900 °C. The results show that optimizing hot band annealing process is beneficial to reduce the amount of {001} <110> grains and weaken the texture intensity, and thus, to reduce ridging and improve formability. In the present study, the final sheets with hot band annealing temperature of 900 °C possess small and inhomogeneous grains with a large amount of {001} <110> orientations, which deteriorates the formability and increases the ridging. In comparison, the final sheets with hot band annealing temperature of 950 °C are comprised of uniform and equiaxed <111>//ND (ND: normal direction) recrystallized grains with a high texture intensity favorable for the improvement in r value and surface quality. However, when hot band annealing temperature further increases to 1000 and 1050 °C, it shows a sharp decrease in r value and a remarkable increase in ridging as a result of a reduction in γ-fiber texture intensity and an increase in grain size in the final sheets. Suitable controlling and optimizing hot band annealing process is essential to improve the formability and reduce the ridging.