How Sn addition influences texture development in single-phase Fe alloys: Correlation between local chemical information, microstructure and recrystallisation

Abstract

Sn addition is known to affect the recrystallisation texture development of α -Fe. To date, even though the texture effect of Sn has been experimentally verified, although indirectly, the underlying mechanism has not been studied. In the present study, we focus on the static recrystallisation behaviour of Fe-Si-Sn alloys to elucidate the texture preferences assessing for the effect of Sn solute addition. The experimental approach is based on sequential electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) texture analysis complemented with a site-specific chemical analysis of grain boundaries by atom probe tomography (APT). It is directly observed through our experiments that boundary segregation phenomena, which occur at the onset and later stages of recrystallisation, provide crucial understanding of texture development. Especially in the presence of solute, the orientation dependence of the energy stored by deformation largely determines the course of the subsequent recrystallisation. In the Fe-Si-Sn alloy, recrystallisation at the highest stored energy grains is hindered. As a consequence of segregation, {001}〈110〉 orientations recrystallise at later stages of the process, forming predominantly grains with orientations of the { h 11}〈1/ h 12〉 fibre. These grains are suggested to form following an oriented nucleation mechanism, while their growth could be interpreted with Ibe and Lücke's theory of selective growth of 26.5 〈110〉 boundaries in bcc metals. • Sn affecting recrystallization texture evolution; during short annealing times. • Local correlative study with in-situ EBSD and site-specific atom probe tomography. • Key mechanisms discussed; segregation effect on recrystallization nucleation-growth. • Gamma-fibre ({111} <uvw>) recrystallization greatly reduced due to Sn segregation. • Segregation promoting the intensity of {411}<148> recrystallization texture.