Strain-induced selective growth in 1.5% temper-rolled Fe;1%Si

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metallurgy
• Physical Metallurgy

Background:

• Selective growth is a key phenomenon in materials processing, influencing final microstructure and properties.
• Temper rolling introduces stored energy within alloy grains, potentially affecting subsequent growth behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mechanisms of strain-induced selective growth in a 1.5% temper-rolled Fe-Si alloy.
• To correlate selective growth with stored energy and dislocation content using advanced characterization techniques.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) for high-resolution microstructural analysis.
• Quantified orientation spreads within grains to assess stored energy.
• Analyzed geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) content as an indicator of stored energy.

Main Results:

• EBSD successfully quantified orientation spreads, indicating variations in stored energy among grains.
• A direct relationship was established between selective growth and differences in stored energy.
• Bi-modal grain size distribution was observed, providing evidence for selective growth.

Conclusions:

• Stored energy differences, quantified by GND content, are the primary drivers of selective growth in this alloy.
• EBSD is a powerful tool for understanding the link between stored energy and microstructural evolution.
• Controlling stored energy through processing is crucial for tailoring grain size and material properties.