Progress Of Recrystallization Research Articles

Analysis of the influence of a pseudo-random number generator type on the kinetics of the cellular automata recrystallization model

Models based on discrete simulation methods, i.e., cellular automata (CA) or Monte Carlo (MC), often contain probabilistic elements in the code to capture the stochastic character of material behaviour. They can be related to various physical aspects reflected in the model, e.g., heterogeneous energy distribution or random crystallographic orientation assignment to subsequent grains. Therefore, the paper's main aim is to analyze the influence of such random elements in the CA recrystallization model used to predict the material microstructure morphology after thermo-mechanical treatment. The first part of the work presents the available tools for pseudo-random number generation and the main elements of the investigated CA recrystallization model. Different variants of input data preparation prior to the simulation, including deformation energy distribution, are shown. The role of the investigated pseudo-random number generators (rand, lcg, mt, ranlux) and their distribution (uniform, normal, lognormal) is highlighted in this part. Finally, the input data are used to perform simulations of recrystallization progress, and the effect of pseudo-random number generation parameters on transformation kinetics and growth of recrystallized grains is evaluated. With this work, we have demonstrated that the choice of the generator type, particularly the method of its distribution, influences the simulation results in the form of final material morphology.

A computational approach to restoration phenomena during annealing of rolled Cu-2Be: recrystallization, grain growth and abnormal grain growth

In this study, an integrated paradigm was developed for the simulation of static recrystallization (SRX) after cold rolling of a Cu-2Be alloy. The proposed framework also models with the normal and abnormal grain growth (AGG) of the after transient recrystallization through post-rolling annealing when stored and interfacial energies are varying. The simulation of AGG was done to study the influence of precipitates and sub-boundaries. The initial stored energy as a result of deformation was calculated. The finite element analysis was used to compute the heterogeneous distribution of stored energy due to heterogeneous deformation and is then incorporated to Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm to attain SRX grain size and kinetics. The stored energy assigned to the as-rolled grain micrograph is introduced to the MC simulation as the initial condition considering the size-scale of the calculation domain. The effects of the Zener drag pressure stemming from the presence of second phase particles on the recrystallization progress was also incorporated into the MC model. To evaluate the simulation predictions, the numerical results of the SRX fractions and grain sizes after cold rolling was studied and compared to the experimental ones, and a reasonable accordance is achieved. The numerical results presented that precipitates and sub-boundaries in cooperation take a significant role in persuading AGG by wetting alongside triple junctions. To validate the quantitative results, SRX transformation kinetics has been investigated using the differential scanning calorimetry.

The Microstructure Evolution and Dynamic Recrystallization Mechanism of Cu-1.1–Ni-0.7–Co-0.45–Si-0.3Cr Alloys during High-Temperature Deformation

Copper alloys with a combination of good electrical conductivity and mechanical properties are widely used in automotive electronics, large-scale integrated circuits, and other fields. In this study, a new type of Cu–Ni–Si alloy with added trace elements of Co and Cr was fabricated. Hot compression tests of this alloy at different temperatures and strain rates were conducted using a Gleeble-1500D simulator. Then, the microstructure transformation and precipitation behaviors of the Cu-1.1–Ni-0.7–Co-0.45–Si-0.3Cr alloy were studied during a hot deformation process. The results show that the hot deformation behavior of the Cu-1.1–Ni-0.7–Co-0.45–Si-0.3Cr alloy includes continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX). The intensity of the texture in the microstructure is decreased, and the randomness of the texture in the microstructure is increased together with the recrystallization progress. The degree of recrystallization of the new Cu-1.1–Ni-0.7–Co-0.45–Si-0.3Cr alloy is increased when the hot deformation temperature rises. Additionally, the results indicate that there are two types of precipitates which are formed in the alloy during the hot deformation process. These two precipitates can pin dislocations and grain boundaries, and therefore, they significantly improve the hot compression resistance of the Cu-1.1–Ni-0.7–Co-0.45–Si-0.3Cr alloy.

Understanding the recrystallization kinetics in aluminium alloy billets with poorly developed cast structure

The paper describes the study of structure evolvement in A0 aluminum and 8011 and 8006 aluminum alloy billets with a low degree of the cast structure working when rolled at 300–500 °C and 3–8 s–1 strain rate. The grain structure was studied by optical microscopy with Axiovert 40 MAT microscope, intermetallic particles analysis was made using JEOL 6390A scanning electron microscope. Grain structure analysis showed that a dendritic structure gradually stretching in the direction of strain is observed in the cast state. Review of the effect of deformation modes and subsequent annealing on the grain structure helped obtain analytic equation to describe recrystallization kinetics. The effect of the Zener-Hollomon parameter value on recrystallization kinetics during subsequent annealing was demonstrated. It was established that at this stage of thermomechanical processing recrystallization kinetics strongly depends both on the Zener-Hollomon parameter and on the amount of strain. The higher content of such impurity elements as silicon and iron gives larger amount of secondary metastable fine particles. This leads to an increase in recrystallization inhibiting force determining recrystallization progress in many respects. Moreover, the number of second phase particles will determine how much the amount of strain affects deformation kinetics. The highest recrystallization rate is observed in pure aluminum, the lowest – in alloy 8006. At low values of the Zener-Hollomon parameter, recrystallization process in this alloy can be fully blocked.This research was funded by the Russian Science Foundation; Project 18-79-10099-П, https://rscf.ru/project/21-79-03041/.

Deciphering the effect of W and Mo co-additions on recrystallization behavior and strengthening mechanism of CrCoNi medium entropy alloy

To pursue superior yield strength and maintain high ductility of CrCoNi medium entropy alloy (MEA) at room temperature, 1.0 at% W and 2.0 at% Mo were added to the CrCoNi alloy to ensure a single-phase solid solution strengthening in face-centered cubic structure. The effects of W and Mo additions on microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism was investigated in detail. The results indicated that discontinuous dynamic recrystallization is the main recrystallization mechanism during annealing. The co-additions of W and Mo with a higher melting point can strengthen the interatomic bonding force and increase the activation energy of grain growth to 409.62 KJ/mol, which leads to sluggish diffusion and retards the recrystallization progress. The high activation energy for grain growth would restrain the grain growth and obtain significantly finer grains of (CrCoNi)97W1Mo2 alloy than that of CrCoNi alloy under similar thermomechanical processing. Smaller grains can impose a stronger grain boundary strengthening and dominate the yield strength enhancement. The strength improvement resulting from grain boundary is 252 MPa for this alloy with the grain size of 1.20 µm. Besides, the co-additions of W and Mo increase the lattice parameter to 0.3610 nm owing to their larger atomic radius and higher shear modulus, then intrinsic lattice friction calculated by the Hall-Petch equation is significantly increased to 289 MPa, which indicated a stronger solid solution strengthening effect (~47 MPa) by severe lattice misfits. Above all, the comprehensive effect of the above aspects of W and Mo additions has developed superior yield strength of 698 MPa and ultimate tensile strength of 1141 MPa. The yield strength of this new alloy enhances by nearly 300 MPa and maintains a high ductility compared with CrCoNi alloy followed under similar thermomechanical processing.

Recrystallization in non-conventional microstructures of 316L stainless steel produced via laser powder-bed fusion: effect of particle coarsening kinetics

Alloys processed by laser powder-bed fusion show distinct microstructures composed of dislocation cells, dispersed nanoparticles, and columnar grains. Upon post-build annealing, such alloys show sluggish recrystallization kinetics compared to the conventionally processed counterpart. To understand this behavior, AISI 316L stainless steel samples were constructed using the island scan strategy. Rhodonite-like (MnSiO3) nanoparticles and dislocation cells are found within weakly-textured grains in the as-built condition. Upon isothermal annealing at 1150 °C (up to 2880 min), the nucleation of recrystallization occurs along the center of the melt pool, where nuclei sites, high stored elastic energy, and local large misorientation are found in the as-built condition. The low value of the Avrami coefficient (n = 1.16) can be explained based on the non-random distribution of nucleation sites. The local interaction of the recrystallization front with nanoparticles speeds up their coarsening causing the decrease of the Zener-Smith pinning force. This allows the progression of recrystallization in LPBF alloys, although sluggish. These results allow us to understand the progress of recrystallization in LPBF 316L stainless steel, shedding light on the nucleation mechanisms and on the competition between driving and dragging pressures in non-conventional microstructures. They also help to understand the most relevant microstructural aspects applicable for tuning microstructures and designing new LPBF alloys.Graphical abstract

Scaling Scientific Cellular Automata Microstructure Evolution Model of Static Recrystallization toward Practical Industrial Calculations.

An attempt to bridge the gap between capabilities offered by advanced full-field microstructure evolution models based on the cellular automata method and their practical applications to daily industrial technology design was the goal of the work. High-performance parallelization techniques applied to the cellular automata static recrystallization (CA-SRX) model were selected as a case study. Basic assumptions of the CA-SRX model and developed modifications allowing high-performance computing are presented within the paper. Particular attention is placed on the development of the parallel computation scheme allowing numerical simulations even for a large volume of material. The development of new approaches to handle communication within the distributed environment is also addressed in the paper as a means to obtain higher computational efficiency. Evaluation of model limits was based on the scalability analysis. The investigation was carried out for the 3D and 2D case studies. Therefore, the complex static recrystallization cellular automata simulation taking into account the influence of recovery, nucleation based on accumulated energy, and the progress of recrystallization as a function of stored energy and grain boundary mobility with high-performance computing capabilities is now possible. The research highlighted that parallelization is more effective with an increasing number of cellular automata cells processed during the entire simulation. It was also proven that the developed parallelization scheme and communication mechanism provides a possibility of obtaining scaled speedup over 700 times for 2D and over 800 times for 3D computational domains, which is crucial for future applications in industrial practice. Therefore, the presented approach’s main advantage is based on the possibility of running the calculation based on input data obtained directly from high-resolution 3D imaging of the microstructure. With that, the full immersion of the experimental results into the numerical model is possible. The second novelty aspect of this work is related to the identification of the quality of model predictions as a function of model size reductions.

Thermomechanical Processing without Accelerated Cooling to Achieve an As-Rolled Yield Strength of 400MPa in C-Mn Steel Plate

Thermomechanical (TM) rolling schedules have been developed using mathematical modelling, physical simulation and industrial trials to produce C-Mn steel plate with yield strengths of 400MPa and good impact toughness without the need of expensive micro-alloying additions or accelerated cooling. The process relies on careful selection of delay times to accumulate sufficient retained strain during austenite conditioning for enhanced nucleation of ferrite. An integrated heat transfer-austenite processing model was used to predict the final microstructure and mechanical properties. The extent of strain accumulation and progress of recrystallisation during rolling were confirmed by laboratory simulation. Based on these results, carefully controlled industrial TM rolling trials were performed on C-Mn steels. Adequate grain refinement and properties are achieved through suppression of recrystallisation and strain accumulation in the low austenite temperature region after a sufficient delay period prior to finishing.

Particle Dissolution and Recrystallization Progress of Al–Mg–Si–Cu Alloy during Solution Treatment

Particle dissolution and recrystallization progress of Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy during solution treatment at 555°C was studied by microstructure, hardness and electrical conductivity characterization, and analytical calculation in the present study. The results show that recrystallization and dissolution could occur concurrently during solution treatment, and the solution time has an appreciable influence on hardness, electrical conductivity, secondary phase particles and grain structure of the Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy. As the solution time increases, the hardness decreases at first, and then increases, and almost remains constant finally; the electrical conductivity decreases sharply at first, and then decreases slowly, and almost keeps constant finally. In addition, the microstructure transforms from the deformation elongated bands to recrystallization equiaxed grains, and the particles are gradually dissolved with the increase of the solution time. The dissolution of the particles may be completed in the range of 120–300 s and the recrystallization was finished not exceeding 60 s. The predicted dissolution time by an analytical model combining classical diffusion-controlled dissolution equation for a single spherical particle and a John–Mehl–Avarami-like (JMA-like) equation is approximately 170 s, which is consistent with the experimental results.

Simulation of recrystallization and martensite revision in 304L austenitic stainless steel after multi-pass rolling processes

In this work, non-isothermal annealing of cold-rolled 304L austenitic stainless steel was studied at temperatures ranging between 400 and 800 °C. In the first place, a dual-phase structure containing work-hardened austenite and strain-induced martensite was produced by means of multi-pass plate rolling, and then, the deformed steel was subjected to annealing heat treatments. To determine the distribution of stored strain energy in the rolling operations, an elastic–plastic finite-element modeling was conducted. Afterwards, an artificial neural network technique was coupled with the thermal-cellular automata model for prediction of martensite reversion, temperature history, and recrystallization progress during subsequent non-isothermal heat treatments. Experimental methods including X-ray diffraction, optical metallography, and Feritscope measurements were carried out to assess the material constants as well as to verify the predictions. Comparison between the predicted results and experimental data showed a good agreement indicating the capability of the model under practical conditions. It was found that that martensite revision started at about 550 °C, while the onset of recrystallization occurred around 670 °C. The activation energies for nucleation and growth during static recrystallization were determined as 180 kJ/mole and 240 kJ/mole, respectively. In addition, the homogenous nucleation mechanism was found to be operative in the rolled steel subjected to total reduction of 35% or higher that resulted in a uniform fine-grained structure.

Effect of Grain Boundary Energy in Recrystallization Simulation by Phase Field Method

In this paper, the effect of grain boundary energy in AZ31 Mg alloy with multi-order parameters phenomenological phase field model has been discussed during the progress of recrystallization. The average grain size of the recrystallization grain at a certain temperature and a certain restored energy but various grain boundary energies have been studied, and the simulated results show that the larger the grain boundary energy is, the larger the average grain size will be, and the speed of grain growth will increase with the increase of grain boundary energy. Additionally, temperature will also increase the grain growth rate.

Microstructure and texture evolution and ring-tensile properties of recrystallized FeCrAl ODS cladding tubes

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl ferritic steels are being developed as potential accident tolerance fuel cladding materials for the light water reactors (LWRs) due to significant improvement in steam oxidation by alumina forming scale and good mechanical properties up to high temperatures. In this study, the microstructural characteristics and tensile properties of the two FeCrAl ODS cladding tubes with different extrusion temperatures of 1100 °C and 1150 °C were investigated during processing conditions. While the hot extruded sample showed micron sized elongated grains with strong α-fiber in <110> texture, cold pilger rolling process change the microstructure to submicron/micron size grain structure along with texture evolution to both α-fiber (<110> texture) and γ-fiber ({111} texture) via crystalline rotations. Subsequently, final annealing resulted in evolution of microstructure to large grain recrystallized structure starting at recrystallization temperature of ~810–850 °C. Two distinct texture development happened in recrystallized cladding tubes, i.e., only large elongated grains of (110) <211> texture following extrusion temperature of 1100 °C; and two texture components of (110) <211> and {111} <112> following higher extrusion temperature of 1150 °C. The different texture development and retarding of recrystallization progress in 1100°C-extruded cladding tubes were attributed to higher distribution of oxide particles. Furthermore, the ring-tensile test properties of recrystallized FeCrAl ODS cladding tubes were evaluated in the temperature range of 25–800 °C and showed a very good combination of strength-ductility with a lower strength and higher ductility for 1150 °C extruded tube up to ~500 °C and opposite properties at higher temperatures.

Reobservations of ferrite recrystallization in a cold-rolled ordered Fe–50Co–10V alloy using the EBSD method

Even after extensive research for decades on cold-rolled magnetic Fe–Co–V alloys, many aspects of ferrite recrystallization are still unclear. In order to analyse the progress of recrystallization in an Fe–50Co–10 V (in wt.%) alloy, different thermal cycles were conducted for an 86% cold-rolled thin sheet (∼140 μm). A comprehensive phase characterization and texture analysis were carried out using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. To investigate the ferrite recrystallization during concurrent ordering and austenite transformation processes, the utilization of several methods such as the Kernel Average Misorientation and Grain Orientation Spread analyses together with grain boundary misorientation and grain size distributions, and characterization of microstructure by electron backscatter diffraction were crucial. The austenite transformation, detected to start at 500–550 °C, complicated the determination of the recrystallization kinetics; however, it was clarified by the present multi-parameter analyses. The ferrite recrystallization was found to initiate at 600 °C within 1 h and progress by the continuous recrystallization mechanism. The typical gamma-fiber texture of the cold-rolled alloy remained almost unchanged upon annealing temperatures up to 750 °C, also confirming the continuous recrystallization mechanism, similarly as the grain boundary misorientation evolution did. The recrystallization kinetics was found to follow the Avrami model with constant exponent in both ordered and disordered states. The recrystallization rate was slow, so that even after 4 h annealing in the disordered state at 750 °C, fragments of ferrite grains with straight sub-boundaries were retained.

Relationship among grain size, texture and mechanical properties of aluminums with different particle distributions

Relationship among grain size, texture and mechanical properties of aluminums with different particle distributions was investigated systematically by microstructure characterization, texture measurement and tensile test in the present study. The results reveal that there is a close relationship among grain size, texture and mechanical properties. For high-purity aluminum without particle, it is easy to result in the increase of grain size. As grain size increases, the initial texture Cube {001}<100> could become strong at first, and then transforms to other stronger texture components {011}<133> and {013}<293>. Furthermore, the strengths and elongation decrease due to the coarse grain structure, the plastic strain ratio r decreases and planar anisotropy Δr (absolute value) increases. For AlMgSiCu alloy with a large number of particles, it is difficult to make the grains grow. With increasing grain size, the texture consisting of CubeND {001}<310>, Goss {110}<001> and P {011}<122> orientations is slightly enhanced at first, and then transforms to another texture including CubeRD {310}<001> and H {001}<110> orientations with a slight change in volume fraction. In addition, the strengths increase at first, and then remain constant, whereas elongation, r and Δr values are almost kept unchanged. In comparison with high-purity aluminum, AlMgSiCu alloy possesses the higher r and lower Δr values. In general, grain size plays an important role in texture development, not depending on whether the aluminum has particles, but particles could retard the texture transformation. Finally, variation of texture with grain size is explained by recrystallization progress.

Stagnant recrystallization in warm-rolled tungsten in the temperature range from 1150 °C to 1300 °C

Pure tungsten is the prime candidate for armor material of fusion reactors; its application at the expected operation temperatures for longer times will result in changes in the microstructure, in particular due to recrystallization, undermining the otherwise outstanding properties of tungsten. Investigating the thermal stability of tungsten depending on the manufacturing technology is therefore crucial. The thermal response of a sintered, hot isostatically pressed tungsten plate warm-rolled to 80% thickness reduction is assessed in the temperature range between 1150 °C and 1300 °C. Isothermal annealing treatments were performed at six different temperatures. With increasing annealing time, the macro hardness decreased and different stages corresponding to different stages of the microstructural evolution and the progress of recrystallization could be identified and confirmed by electron backscatter diffraction. For all six annealing temperatures a stagnation period in the evolution of the macro hardness was observed where the degradation of mechanical properties halted for a significant amount of time, before it resumed. Microstructural investigations revealed that the stagnation occurred when tungsten was still only partially recrystallized. For the time to half recrystallization, an activation energy of 548 kJ/mol comparable to the activation energy of bulk self-diffusion is inferred.

Magnetic Barkhausen Noise Characterization of the Recrystallization of a Non-Oriented Electrical Steel after Cold Rolling at Different Angles to the Hot Rolling Direction

Non-oriented electrical steel sheets are the most commonly used material for the manufacturing of magnetic cores for electric motors and generators. The microstructure and texture of the steel after final annealing have a significant effect on the magnetic properties of the lamination core. To investigate the effect of cold rolling and annealing on the magnetic properties of the steel sheets, a 0.9 wt% Si non-oriented electrical steel was cold rolled at different angles to the hot rolling direction (HRD) and annealed at various temperatures (600°C to 750°C) to produce dissimilar microstructures. The progress of recrystallization was characterized by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and the magnetic response of the steel at various stages of recrystallization was evaluated by magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN). A number of MBN parameters, e.g. the root mean square, the smoothed envelope, the peak, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the envelope, the time integral of the MBN signals and the MBN energy, were analyzed with respect to the fraction of recrystallization during annealing. The results show that cold rolling at different angles to the hot rolling direction induces various deformation microstructures and stored energies, which, in turn, lead to considerably different recrystallization behaviours during annealing. The difference in recrystallization of these materials is also reflected in the MBN parameters.

Effect of different annealing temperatures on microstructures and properties of Cu–Sn Alloy

Through an EBSD analysis on the change characteristics of the microstructure of a spinning formed thin-walled Cu–Sn alloy cylinder which is annealed at 300 °C–600 °C for 2 h, it indicates that the grain size increases with the rise of annealing temperature and the size falls back at 400 °C. At 300 °C, the microstructure is mainly composed of deformed grains. With the progress of recrystallization, the deformed grains disappear first, and the number of substructures gradually reduces but always exists. In terms of the grain boundary, the subgrain boundaries gradually disappear and the Σ9 grain boundary at the secondary peak gradually transforms into the Σ3 grain boundary. At 300 °C, a {100}//Z0 fiber texture appears, but the general orientation of the grain is random at other temperatures. The detection of mechanical properties found that the elongation of Cu–Sn alloy increasing from 14% to 65% gradually and the yield strength (YS) and tensile strength (TS)decreasing to 282 MPa and 352 MPa respectively.

The zone of incipient 40Ar* loss-monitoring 40Ar* degassing behavior in a contact metamorphic setting

The ⁴⁰Ar* retentivity behavior was studied in the contact metamorphic aureole of the Torres del Paine intrusion (51°S, Chile) and provides constraints on the closure temperature in contact metamorphic settings. The temperature conditions of the regional anchizonal to epizonal metamorphosed pelitic host rock and the contact metamorphic pelite were recorded by illite crystallinities (Kubler Index) and by Raman spectroscopy on carbonaceous matter. K/Ar age determinations were carried out on illite fine fractions (<0.2 and <2 µm). Differing reaction progresses are observed between organic matter and illite. Organic matter equilibrated with the ambient temperatures, whereas illite is lacking behind the contact metamorphic conditions evident by the absence or limited recrystallization progress. We propose two models to explain the degassing of ⁴⁰Ar* in the absence of recrystallization considering surface loss and volume diffusion as two main pathways. Incipient ⁴⁰Ar* loss appears at temperatures of about 248°C in the <0.2 µm and at 260°C in the <2 µm fraction. The high temperature end of ⁴⁰Ar* retentivity is derived by extrapolation yielding temperatures of 330°C for the <0.2 µm fraction and 345°C for the <2 µm fraction. Thus, the Zone of incipient ⁴⁰Ar* loss, called ZIAL, is constrained to between 248°C and 330°C for the <0.2 µm fraction and to between 260 and 345°C for the <2 µm fraction. The extrapolated values for the upper ZIAL limit are in good agreement with calculated bulk closure temperature values of 348°C (<2 µm) and 286°C (<0.2 µm) assuming ca. 10 kyrs of heating during the emplacement of the Torres del Paine intrusion.

Effect of nano-sized ZrO2 on high temperature performance of Mo-ZrO2 alloy

Mo-ZrO2 alloys were prepared through hydrothermal synthesis and powder metallurgy process. Room temperature microstructures of these alloy plates were observed, while high temperature tensile strength and plasticity of them were tested above 1000 °C using a Gleeble-1500D thermal simulated test machine. Results have shown that ZrO2 particles were fine in the alloy and distributed at grain boundaries and within the grains. The second phase of ZrO2 particles demonstrated a pinning effect to retard recrystallization progress and thus enhance high temperature tensile stress and plasticity of the alloys effectively. Besides, the strengthening effect of the second phase in the alloy could also effectively improve its high temperature tensile stress. Under 1400 °C, maximum tensile stress of Mo-1.5%ZrO2 alloy was 1.5 times that of pure molybdenum, while the alloy plasticity also increased dramatically. The area shrinkage of Mo-1.5% ZrO2 alloy at 1400 °C was 5 times that of pure molybdenum.

Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Texture and Magnetic Barkhausen Noise of a Non-oriented Electrical Steel (0.88 wt% Si) after Inclined Cold Rolling

Inclined cold rolling was employed in this study to process a 0.88 wt% Si non-oriented electrical steel. After conventional hot rolling and annealing, the steel was cold rolled at various angles (i.e. 0°, 45°, and 90°) to the hot rolling direction (HRD), and the cold-rolled steel sheets were then annealed at different temperatures from 600°C to 750°C for 30 seconds to investigate the effect of annealing temperature on the texture and magnetic response of the material. The texture was measured by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and the magnetic response of the steel was evaluated by magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) analysis. It was found that all the cold-rolled steels partially recrystallize at temperatures below 750°C, but the progress of recrystallization differs in steels cold rolled at different angles to the HRD, i.e. samples rolled at 45° to the HRD recrystallize faster than those after conventional rolling (0° to HRD) or cross rolling (90° to the HRD). The initial cold rolling texture (mainly the α-fibre and γ-fibre) may change to cube, rotated cube, rotated Goss or {111}<112> depending on the rolling scheme and the annealing temperature. The MBN root mean square values of the samples cold rolled at different angles to the HRD show substantial differences during the annealing process. At low annealing temperatures (600°C and 650°C), the anisotropy of MBN in the conventionally rolled steel is much higher than those after inclined rolling or cross rolling.