Evolution of recrystallization texture in a 0.78 wt.% Cr extra-low-carbon steel after warm and cold rolling

The detailed evolution of microstructure and microtexture during the annealing of warm-rolled (WR) and cold-rolled (CR) 0.78 wt.% Cr extra-low-carbon steels was studied via electron back-scattering diffraction (EBSD). The partially recrystallized maps were deconstructed into deformed, recovered, newly nucleated and growing grain fractions using a newly developed procedure. In the early stages of recrystallization, the WR samples contained a mixture of discontinuously recrystallized {1 1 1}<1 1 2> newly nucleated grains and previously recovered {1 1 1}<1 1 0> growing grains. During the later stages of annealing, continuous recrystallization was the predominant mechanism with the strengthening orientations confined mostly to the α-fibre at ∼(112)[11-bar0]. Conversely, during the annealing of the CR samples, discontinuous recrystallization took place, with the newly nucleated and growing grain fractions consisting mostly of {1 1 1}<1 1 2> orientations.