Home Effect of rare-earth Ce on the texture of non-oriented silicon steels
Article Open Access

Effect of rare-earth Ce on the texture of non-oriented silicon steels

  • Lei Zhao , Jichun Yang , Hongao Hu and Xiaoyang Fu EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: March 5, 2024
Download Article (PDF)
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Submit Manuscript Author Information
High Temperature Materials and Processes
From the journal High Temperature Materials and Processes Volume 43 Issue 1

Abstract

Macroscopic and microscopic textures of non-oriented silicon steel hot rolled sheets with different rare-earth Ce contents were investigated using X-Ray Diffraction, Electron Back Scatter Diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy, and the magnetic properties of the cold-rolled annealed sheets were examined using a silicon steel sheet testing system. The results show that the addition of rare-earth Ce reduces the proportion of unfavorable γ texture intensity and texture {111} and enhances the proportion of favorable η texture intensity and texture {100} and {110} in the steel. Magnetic property tests show that rare-earth Ce favors the reduction in test steel loss and the increase in magnetic susceptibility. The main reason is that rare-earth Ce combines with O and S in steel to form large-size inclusions, which preferentially precipitate in the liquid steel and inhibit the precipitation of fine AlN and MnS inclusions, while denaturing the inclusions to spherical composite inclusions such as Ce2O2S-MnS, CeS-AlN, and CeAlO3, thus exerting a good effect of purifying the liquid steel and denaturing the inclusions.

Keywords: rare earth; non-oriented silicon steel; texture; inclusions; magnetic properties

1 Introduction

Under the background of energy conservation and emission reduction, clean energy industries such as hydropower [1], wind power [2], and nuclear power have been developing rapidly. Non-oriented silicon steel is the key material for the abovementioned generator, and its magnetic properties are directly related to the efficiency of the motor. The magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel are determined by both iron loss and magnetic induction strength, high magnetic susceptibility and low iron loss are the guarantee of good magnetic properties. And texture is one of the main factors affecting the magnetic susceptibility and iron loss of non-oriented silicon steel [3,4,5]. Since the magnetism varies along the direction of each crystal, there are two easily magnetizable axes on {100} with the best magnetism. Next is {110}, on which there is an easily magnetized shaft. While in the unfavorable textures {111} and {112}, {111} do not have an easy magnetization axis and has difficult magnetization directions. Due to the presence of a hard-to-magnetize axis, {112} has high iron loss and poor magnetic performance. Enhancement of {100} and {110} textures and suppression of {111} and {112} textures can improve product’s magnetic properties [6]. Therefore, the distribution of texture and the strength of each component have a significant effect on the magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel [7,8].

It has been shown that when rare-earth elements are added to non-oriented silicon steel, the high activity of Ce makes it easy to combine with O and S in the steel to form the oxygen sulfide of Ce with high melting point, which preferentially precipitates in the molten steel, inhibits the precipitation of MnS inclusions and modifies, spheroidizes, and coarsens inclusions such as AlN and Al2O3, and impedes the preferential nucleation and growth of grains in the {111} direction around inclusions, reducing the proportion of unfavorable textures {111} and improving the magnetic properties of the test steel [9,10]. Fan et al. [18] pointed out that elongated inclusions such as MnS, AlN with prismatic corners, Al2O3, etc., usually have a greater effect on coercivity and hysteresis loss than spherical inclusions, which are more favorable to magnetic properties. Li et al. [11] pointed out that the incorporation of rare-earth Ce increased the percentage of favorable {001} <120> texture, {001} <130> texture, and Gaussian texture, reduced the harmful γ-fiber texture, and improved the magnetic properties of the test steel. Although there have been related studies, research on the effect of different rare-earth Ce content on the macro texture, micro texture, and inclusions system in non-oriented silicon steel is less, and the mechanism of the role of Ce in the texture of non-oriented silicon steel is not clear enough. Therefore, exploring the mechanism of Ce’s effect on texture in non-oriented silicon steel is an important theoretical guidance for the development of more efficient non-oriented silicon steel. In this study, through field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction, Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD), and other analytical means, the texture of the hot rolled state and the magnetic properties of the test steel after cold rolled and annealed are investigated with different rare-earth Ce contents, in order to comprehensively and systematically reveal the mechanism of the role of Ce on the magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel, and to provide the theoretical basis for the subsequent related research and the formulation of the on-site production process.

2 Experimental materials and methods

The test steel was smelted in a vacuum induction furnace of model ZG-0.1, with 99.98% purity of trace Ce added, and the composition of the raw materials used is shown in Table 1. The specific smelting steps are drying, charging, vacuuming, complete melting of steel, addition of rare-earth Ce by the secondary feeder, stirring, and pouring, and the composition of the ingot after casting is shown in Table 2. The cast ingot was heated up to 1,200°C in the furnace and held for 1 h. After three hot rolling to a thickness of 5 mm, the final rolling temperature was higher than 950°C. Then, the hot rolled plate was put into 10% HCl water solution pickling. The hot rolled plate was cold rolled to a thickness of 0.35 mm and continuously annealed, with nitrogen used as a protective atmosphere during the annealing process. The magnetic property measurement equipment is TD8510 type silicon steel sheet test system, the sample size is 300 mm (RD) × 30 mm (TD) with a thickness of 0.35 mm, each group of samples had five parallel specimens, and then the average value was taken.

Table 1

Table of raw materials and their compositions used in test steels (wt%)

Alloy type C Si Mn S P Al O Ce Fe
Manganese metal 0.07 0.35 97.15 0.035 0.036 — — — Bal
Ferrosilicon 0.12 72.53 — 0.015 0.031 1.58 — — Bal
Pure aluminum — 0.02 — — — 99.9 — — Bal
Industrial pure iron 0.0021 0.0049 0.012 0.0026 0.0056 0.0068 0.0074 — Bal
Cerium iron — — — — — — — 30 Bal
Table 2

Chemical composition of tested non-oriented silicon steels (wt%)

Steel code C Si Mn S P Al N Ce
0# 0.0063 2.74 0.250 0.0032 0.0040 0.840 0.0029 0.0000
1# 0.0037 2.77 0.240 0.0025 0.0033 0.864 0.0025 0.0018
2# 0.0065 2.76 0.240 0.0040 0.0036 0.647 0.0036 0.0075
3# 0.0070 2.83 0.258 0.0013 0.0036 0.838 0.0036 0.0140

The macroscopic texture was detected using a (D8ADVANCE) type X-ray diffractometer with a sample size of 20 mm (RD) × 15 mm (TD). The micro texture was examined using a ZEISS Sigma 300 SEM and an EBSD analysis system. Typical inclusions in the test steel were characterized and analyzed by metallurgical microscope, field emission SEM (ZEISS Sigma 300), and tungsten filament SEM (JEOL JSM-6510), combined with the self-contained EDAX 20 type energy spectrometer. Magnetic properties are tested by (TD8510) type silicon steel sheet test system.

3 Results and discussion

3.1 Effect of rare-earth Ce on the macroscopic texture of non-oriented silicon steel

The cross-section of the orientation distribution function with φ2 = 45° (e.g., Figure 1) is the most direct and efficient way to represent the texture, in which the position of some important orientations can be compared, such as α-fiber texture, γ-fiber texture, Gaussian texture, anti-Gaussian texture, and so on. The heat treatment process results in deformation texture and recrystallization texture, and the ODF plot of the texture of the hot rolled specimen obtained from this test (φ2 = 45°) is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2(a) shows the ODF plot of rare-earth free steel (0#), Figure 2(b) shows the ODF plot of steel with 18 ppm Ce (1#), Figure 2(c) shows the ODF plot of steel with 75 ppm Ce (2#), and Figure 2(d) shows the ODF plot of steel with 140 ppm Ce (3#).

Figure 1 φ2 = 45° cross-section and its main crystal orientations.
Figure 1

φ2 = 45° cross-section and its main crystal orientations.

Figure 2 ODF plots of hot rolled texture at different rare-earth contents. (a) 0#, (b) 1#, (c) 2#, and (d) 3#.
Figure 2

ODF plots of hot rolled texture at different rare-earth contents. (a) 0#, (b) 1#, (c) 2#, and (d) 3#.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the texture intensity of 1# steel is the lowest at 17.34, and the texture intensity of both 2# and 3# steel is higher than that of 0# steel, with 3# steel having the highest texture intensity of 71.06, and there is an increasing trend in the texture intensity of the tested steels. At the same time, an anti-Gaussian texture appears in 1# steel with a texture intensity of 8.63. Gaussian texture appears in 3# steel, which has the highest texture intensity of 71.06. No Gaussian texture was found for the other three test steels. Overall, by adding the rare-earth element Ce, the texture intensity of the test steels showed an increasing trend, in which 3# steel exhibited Gaussian texture with the highest texture intensity. This suggests that the rare-earth element Ce is favorable for increasing the texture intensity of the tested steels.

The addition of different Ce contents changes the morphology and orientation of the grains and promotes the orderly arrangement of grain boundaries, thus increasing the number or proportion of specific grain orientations in the texture, and thus the effect on the orientation density of the texture exhibits different trends in different texture directions [12]. Figure 3 shows the α-orientation line of the test steel after hot rolling. As can be seen from Figure 3, the {001} <110> orientation density varies greatly, the orientation density of 1# steel is basically equal to that of 0# steel, and the orientation density of 3# steel is the highest, and with the addition of rare-earth Ce, the orientation density of the {001} <110> texture shows a tendency of decreasing first and then increasing, and reaches the highest in 3# steel. The {112} <110> texture is that the orientation density of 2# steel is higher than that of 0# steel, and the orientation densities of 1# and 3# steel are both lower than that of 0# steel, and the {112} <110> texture has an overall decreasing trend in orientation density, with 3# steel having the lowest orientation density. The {111} <110> texture is that the orientation density of 1# steel is higher than that of 0# steel, and both 2# and 3# steel are lower than that of 0# steel, the {111} <110> orientation density of the texture has a tendency to increase and then decrease, with 3# steel having the lowest orientation density. The {110} <110> 2# and 3# steel textures have lower orientation densities than the 0# steel, while the 1# steel texture has a higher orientation density than the 0# steel.

Figure 3 Orientation density distribution of experimental steels with different rare-earth Ce contents (α-orientation line).
Figure 3

Orientation density distribution of experimental steels with different rare-earth Ce contents (α-orientation line).

Figure 4(a) and(b) show the γ orientation line and the η orientation line, respectively. From Figure 4(a), it can be seen that the rare-earth Ce has a significant effect on both {111} <011> texture and {111} <112> texture, and the orientation density of {111} <011> and {111} <112> texture show a tendency to increase first and then decrease after the addition of rare-earth Ce. The lowest orientation densities for both the {111} <011> texture and the {111} <112> texture in 3# steel indicate that rare-earth Ce is beneficial in reducing the intensity of the γ-fiber texture.

Figure 4 Orientation density distribution of experimental steels with different rare-earth Ce contents. (a) γ-orientation line and (b) η-orientation line.
Figure 4

Orientation density distribution of experimental steels with different rare-earth Ce contents. (a) γ-orientation line and (b) η-orientation line.

As can be seen from Figure 4(b), the orientation density of the {100} <001> texture of the η-orientated line in the test steels shows a trend of decreasing and then increasing with the increase in the rare-earth Ce content, among which the {100} <001> texture of 3# steel has the highest orientation density. In the {110} <001> texture, the orientation density of 2# steel texture is lower than that of 0# steel, while both 1# and 3# steel are higher than that of 0# steel, and the overall trend of the orientation density of {110} <001> texture is significantly increasing, with the highest orientation density of 3# steel texture. It indicates that rare-earth Ce is beneficial in increasing the intensity of η-fiber texture.

In conclusion, it can be seen that by adding rare-earth Ce, it is beneficial to increase the intensity of η-fiber texture and decrease the intensity of γ-fiber texture. As a result, rare-earth Ce elevated the proportion of favorable textures {100} and {110} and decreased the proportion of unfavorable texture {111} in the tested steels.

3.2 Influence of rare-earth Ce on the micro-texture of non-oriented silicon steel

The EBSD function of the SEM was used to measure the organization and texture of the test steel, and finally the obtained data were processed and analyzed using the HKL Channel 5 software. Hot rolling is essential in the heat treatment of non-oriented silicon steel, due to the fact that with the hot rolling process, the slip system of each grain is transformed so that the anisotropy of the grain has certain regularity.

Figure 5 shows the microstructure of the hot rolled plate, and Figure 6 shows the statistical results of the grain size of the hot rolled plate microstructure. Under the same multiplicity and field of view conditions, the number of grains in the test steels (0#, 1#, 2#, and 3#) were 138, 120, 100, and 50, respectively, and the average area of individual grains was 28742.8, 31241.7, 36,279, and 78,472 μm2, respectively. This indicates that the average area of individual grains gradually increases and the number of grains gradually decreases with the increase in the rare-earth Ce content.

Figure 5 Hot rolled plate microstructure. (a) 0#, (b) 1#, (c) 2#, and (d) 3#.
Figure 5

Hot rolled plate microstructure. (a) 0#, (b) 1#, (c) 2#, and (d) 3#.

Figure 6 Grain size statistics of hot rolled plate microstructure. (a) 0#, (b) 1#, (c) 2#, and (d) 3#.
Figure 6

Grain size statistics of hot rolled plate microstructure. (a) 0#, (b) 1#, (c) 2#, and (d) 3#.

Figure 7 shows an orientation imaging map of the textures, where red as well as light red are {001} textures, blue as well as dark blue are {111} textures, and green as well as light green are {101} textures. From Figure 7(a), it can be seen that 0# steel is dominated by {111} texture and {101} texture, and there also exists a small amount of {001} texture, but the distribution is small. From Figure 7(b), it can be seen that 1# steel, like 0# steel, is still dominated by {111} texture and {101} texture, with a slight increase in the proportion of {001} texture. As can be seen from Figure 7(c), 2# steel is dominated by {101} texture, with a significant increase in the proportion of {101} texture and a significant decrease in the proportion of {111} texture compared to 0# steel. From Figure 7(d), 3# steel is dominated by {101} texture, with a small decrease in the proportion of {111} texture and a significant increase in the proportion of {001} texture compared to 0# steel. Overall, the proportion of favorable {001} textures in the test steels is increasing significantly and the proportion of unfavorable textures is decreasing after the addition of rare-earth Ce.

Figure 7 Texture (orientation) distribution of hot rolled plates. (a) 0#; (b) 1#; (c) 2#; (d) 3#.
Figure 7

Texture (orientation) distribution of hot rolled plates. (a) 0#; (b) 1#; (c) 2#; (d) 3#.

Figure 8 shows the orientation imaging of textures, where red is {100} <100> texture, pink is {100} <110> texture, green is {110} <110> texture, dark green is {110} <100> texture, dark blue is {111} <112> texture, blue is {111} <110> texture, yellow is {112} <111> texture, and white is the other texture. The {100} and {110} textures are generally considered to be favorable and the {111} and {112} textures are unfavorable, and the orientation imaging map provides a more intuitive view of the proportions of the various textures in the steel, and thus their effect on the magnetic properties.

Figure 8 Imaging of the texture (orientation) of a hot rolled plate. (a) 0#, (b) 1#, (c) 2#, and (d) 3#.
Figure 8

Imaging of the texture (orientation) of a hot rolled plate. (a) 0#, (b) 1#, (c) 2#, and (d) 3#.

From Figure 8(a), it can be seen that the proportion of {111} <112> texture in 0# steel is the highest, which is 16.8%, the proportion of {111} <110> texture is 1.24%, the proportion of {112} <111> texture also reaches 13.14%, and the proportion of {111} and {112} texture is 31.18%.The proportion of {100} <100> textures is 0.241%, the proportion of {100} <110> textures is 0.0201%, the proportion of {110} <110> textures is 3.43%, the proportion of {110} <100> textures is 3.27%, and the proportion of favorable {100} and {110} textures is 6.9611%. From Figure 8(b), it can be seen that the percentage of {100} texture in 1# steel is 3.464%, the percentage of {110} texture is 1.528%, the percentage of {100} and {110} textures is 4.992%, while the percentage of {111} and {112} textures is 37.88%. From Figure 8(c), it can be seen that the proportion of {100} texture in 2# steel is 0.362%, the proportion of {110} texture is 1.344%, the proportion of {100} and {110} textures is 1.706%, while the proportion of {111} and {112} textures is 56.88%. As can be seen from Figure 8(d), the proportion of {100} texture in 3# steel is 10.12% and the proportion of {110} texture is 0.96251%, compared to 2# steel, the proportion of {111} and {112} textures in 3# steel decreases to 38.01%, while the proportion of {100} and {110} textures is substantially increased to 11.08251%.

In summary, the proportions of favorable textures {100} and {110} show a tendency to decrease and then increase with the increase in Ce content, and a more obvious increase in the proportion of favorable textures is exhibited in 3# steel, while the proportions of unfavorable textures {111} and {112} show a tendency to increase and then decrease. Therefore, the addition of rare-earth Ce is beneficial to enhance the proportion of favorable textures {100} and {110} and reduce the proportion of unfavorable textures, which can optimize the magnetic properties of the steel, and the addition of the rare-earth Ce of 140 ppm has the best effect on the optimization of the magnetic properties of the steel.

3.3 Mechanistic analysis of Ce metamorphic inclusions

Rare-earth elements have strong deoxygenation and desulfurization ability, which can effectively purify the steel liquid [13,14]. When rare-earths are added, they first react with oxygen to form rare-earth oxide inclusions, and then the rare-earth oxides react rapidly with the sulfur in the steel to form rare-earth oxygen and sulfur inclusions in a short time. When the oxygen content of steel is low, the excess rare-earths react with sulfur to form rare-earth sulfides. Rare-earth oxides or rare-earth oxygen-sulfur compounds generated in steel are usually spherical or nearly spherical, and due to the high surface activity of rare-earth elements, the generated fine inclusions are more likely to polymerize and grow up in the steel, which can achieve the effect of inclusions modification and coarsening. Rare-earth inclusions have a high melting point and are difficult to solidify the solution, which can effectively reduce the amount of solid solution of the elements in the reheating process and inhibit the precipitation of fine AlN and MnS during the cooling process. In addition, AlN and MnS are easily precipitated on the surface of rare-earth inclusions, thus further reducing the number of fine precipitates [9]. Fan et al. [18] pointed out that the high melting point of rare-earth oxides generated after rare-earth treatment became the precipitation point of AlN during the cooling process, and a large amount of AlN was precipitated on the surface of rare-earth oxides, which suppressed the precipitation of fine AlN, and at the same time, it changed the morphology of AlN, which reduced the hindering effect of the inclusions on the migration of grain boundaries. It has been shown that the magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel are closely related to the second phase particles in the steel, and the fine inclusions and precipitates in the steel can seriously deteriorate the iron loss and magnetic induction intensity of the material [15,16,17].

This is mainly due to the fact that the presence of inclusions inhibits grain growth during recrystallization annealing and leads to an increase in unfavorable textures.

It has been shown [18] that elongated inclusions such as MnS, AlN with prismatic corners, and Al2O3 usually have a greater effect on coercivity and hysteresis loss than spherical inclusions. Kurosaki et al. [19] pointed out that if the inclusions after cold rolling are elongated they inhibit grain growth and iron loss properties deteriorate. If it is spherical or nearly spherical, it does not inhibit grain growth and the iron loss properties are improved.

During recrystallization of non-oriented silicon steel, the unfavorable texture {111}, which preferentially nucleates and grows around the inclusions during annealing, is suppressed and the proportion of unfavorable texture {111} is reduced due to the effect of rare-earth Ce on the modification, spheroidization, and roughening of inclusions such as MnS, AlN, etc. [9]. A portion of the solid-solution Ce is biased on the grain boundaries, which reduces the grain boundary energy and thus hinders the {111} texture component that nucleates and grows up at the primitive grain boundaries, favoring the enhancement of magnetic properties. He et al. [20] investigated the effect of rare-earth elements on the texture of Fe–3.1%Si–1.2%Al non-oriented silicon steel, and the addition of rare-earth elements resulted in the enhancement of favorable {113} <361> texture and λ-texture (<001>//ND), and a significant reduction in unfavorable γ-texture, which led to a decrease in iron loss and an increase in magnetic flux of the finished silicon steel.

Since the best magnetic property effect was achieved with the addition of 140 ppm rare-earth Ce, in order to facilitate the study, 140 ppm rare-earth Ce was therefore chosen as a representative to compare and analyze the morphology, size, and type of typical inclusions in the test steels without Ce and with the addition of rare-earth Ce. As can be seen from Figure 9, the inclusions in the steel without Ce treatment are mainly MnS, AlN, Al2O3, etc., with relatively small sizes and rectangular, quadrilateral, and elliptical shapes, respectively. The addition of rare-earth Ce denatures the inclusions into composite inclusions such as Ce2O2S-MnS, CeS-AlN, and CeAlO3, and the inclusions increase in size and undergo spheroidization. Therefore, the addition of rare-earth Ce suppresses the precipitation of fine AlN and MnS during the cooling process, and thus the fine inclusions (sizes less than 1 μm) in the steel are suppressed, and the inclusions are coarsened and spheroidized, which impedes the preferential nucleation and growth of grains in the {111}-site orientation around the inclusions, and reduces the proportion of unfavorable texture {111}, and improves the magnetic properties of the test steel.

Figure 9 Inclusion morphology in Ce-free (a–c) and 140 ppm Ce (d–f) test steels. (a) MnS, (b) AlN, (c) Al2O3, (d) Ce2O2S-MnS, (e) CeS-AlN, and (f) CeAlO3.
Figure 9

Inclusion morphology in Ce-free (a–c) and 140 ppm Ce (d–f) test steels. (a) MnS, (b) AlN, (c) Al2O3, (d) Ce2O2S-MnS, (e) CeS-AlN, and (f) CeAlO3.

3.4 Effect of rare-earth Ce on the magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel

Table 3 shows the results of iron loss and magnetic susceptibility testing of the test steel cold rolled annealed plates, from which it can be seen that the magnetic properties of the test steel cold rolled annealed plates were tested by simulating continuous annealing under laboratory conditions. 0# steel B35 result is 1.67 T, P10/50 result is 3.63 W·kg−1. 1# steel B35 result is 1.71 T, P10/50 result is 3.61 W·kg−1. 2# steel B35 result is 1.72 T, P10/50 result is 3.54 W·kg−1. 3# steel B35 result is 1.72 T, P10/50 result is 3.43 W·kg−1. For 1# steel, magnetic susceptibility increased by 2.4% and iron loss decreased by 0.55% compared to 0# steel; For 2# steel, magnetic susceptibility increased by 2.99% and iron loss decreased by 2.48% compared to 0# steel; and For 3# steel, magnetic susceptibility increased by 2.99% and iron loss decreased by 5.5% compared to 0# steel. In summary, with the increase in rare-earth Ce content, the magnetic properties of test steels 0#, 1#, 2#, and 3# are improved, the iron loss (P10/50) decreased from 3.63 to 3.43 W·kg−1, and the magnetic induction intensity (B35) increased from 1.67 T to 1.72 T, and a comprehensive analysis reveals that the test steel 3# has the best effect on magnetic properties.

Table 3

Magnetic properties of test steels with different Ce contents

0# 1# 2# 3#
P10/50/(W·kg−1) 3.63 3.61 3.54 3.43
B35 (T) 1.67 1.71 1.72 1.72

4 Conclusion

  1. In non-oriented silicon steel, the addition of rare-earth Ce decreases the proportion of unfavorable γ-weave intensity and texture {111} and increases the proportion of favorable η-weave intensity and texture {100} and {110} in the steel, which can optimize the magnetic properties of the steel.

  2. Rare-earth Ce combines with O and S in steel to form large-size inclusions, which are preferentially precipitated in molten steel, inhibiting the precipitation of fine AlN and MnS inclusions, and at the same time denaturing the inclusions to spherical composite inclusions such as Ce2O2S-MnS, CeS-AlN, and CeAlO3, so as to play a good role in purifying molten steel and metamorphic inclusions.

  3. The magnetic properties of the test steel were improved by the addition of rare-earth Ce. The iron loss (P10/50) decreased from 3.63 to 3.43 W·kg−1 and the magnetic intensity (B35) increased from 1.67 T to 1.72 T. The best effect of magnetic properties was obtained at a Ce content of 140 ppm.

5 Innovation point

In this work, the mechanism of the influence of rare-earth Ce on the magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel has been explored from the macroscopic and microscopic perspectives, and the influence of rare-earth Ce on the morphology of texture species and inclusions in non-oriented silicon steel has been clarified.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51774190), Inner Mongolia Natural Science Foundation (2019MS05044), and Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology Special Funds Grant for Basic Scientific Research Operating Expenses (2023XKJX004) for their support of this project.

  1. Funding information: This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51774190) and the Inner Mongolia Natural Science Foundation (2019MS05044). Also, Supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for Inner Mongolia University of Science & Technology (2023XKJX004).

  2. Author contributions: Lei Zhao: analyzed the experimental results and wrote the article. Jichun Yang: provided theoretical guidance for the article and financial support for the experimental project. Hongao Hu: completed the experimental content and provided experimental data. Xiaoyang Fu: advised on the experimental study and revised and checked the content of the article.

  3. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Data availability statement: All authors confirm that all data used in this article can be published by the Journal “High Temperature Materials and Processes.”

References

[1] Zhencheng, L., L. Guangzhen, L. Ling, L. Bin, Z. Yixin, Y. Yude, et al. Coordinated optimization control strategy of hydropower and thermal power AGC units. Energy Reports, Vol. 9, No. S7, 2023, pp. 1292–1303.10.1016/j.egyr.2023.04.202Search in Google Scholar

[2] Guomin, L., W. Jingchao, Q. Zihan, W. Tao, R. Yufei, Z. Yagang, et al. Research on renewable energy prediction technology: Empirical analysis for Argentina and China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, Vol. 30, No. 8, 2022, pp. 21225–21237.10.1007/s11356-022-23454-2Search in Google Scholar PubMed

[3] Wei, H., Y. Lin, P. Luo, H. Wang, S. Wang, W. Zhang, et al. Effect of cold rolling reduction ratio on microstructure and magnetic properties of secondary cold-rolled high-grade nonoriented silicon steel. Steel Research International, Vol. 94, No. 9, 2023, pp. 2200869–2200879.10.1002/srin.202200869Search in Google Scholar

[4] Jia, S. W., L. Ming, H. W. Xia, X. ChunXiang, L. Yuan, W. Hua, et al. Effect of grain size before cold rolling on microstructure, texture and magnetic properties of ultra-thin low-Si non-oriented silicon steel. JOM, Vol. 75, No. 6, 2023, pp. 1824–1838.10.1007/s11837-023-05781-ySearch in Google Scholar

[5] Dong-Mei, C., A. Zhen-Zhen, W. Guo-Dong, and L. Hai-Tao. Effects of hot rolling and coiling temperatures on microstructure, texture and magnetic properties of 1.6 wt% Si non-oriented silicon steel. Materials Today Communications, Vol. 31, 2022, pp. 103807–103818.10.1016/j.mtcomm.2022.103807Search in Google Scholar

[6] Dou, W. X., G. Yuan, M. F. Lan, Y. X. Zhang, and M. Y. Zhu. The significance of microstructure and texture on magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel: Strip casting versus conventional process. Steel Research International, Vol. 91, No. 1, 2020, pp. 1900286–1900296.10.1002/srin.201900286Search in Google Scholar

[7] Weining, J., W. Xiaolong, Y. Ping, and G. Xinfu. Relationship between the initial {100} textures and the shear textures developed in sheet surface during hot rolling of non-oriented silicon steel. Materials Characterization, Vol. 182, 2021, pp. 111534–111544.10.1016/j.matchar.2021.111534Search in Google Scholar

[8] Song, S. Effect of reduction rate and annealing temperature on texture evolution and magnetic properties of used non‐oriented silicon steel. Material Wissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik, Vol. 51, No. 1, 2020, pp. 83–95.10.1002/mawe.201900056Search in Google Scholar

[9] Li, N., Y. Wang, S. Qiu, and L. Xiang. Effect of Ce on the evolution of recrystallization texture in a 1.2% Si-0.4% Al non-oriented electrical steel. ISIJ International, Vol. 56, No. 7, 2016, pp. 1256–1261.10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2015-641Search in Google Scholar

[10] Caijuan, S. H., J. I. Zili, R. E. Huiping, and Y. O. Jinglin. Effect of lanthanum on recrystallization behavior of non-oriented silicon steel. Journal of Rare Earths, Vol. 35, No. 3, 2017, pp. 309–314.10.1016/S1002-0721(17)60914-1Search in Google Scholar

[11] Li, H.-Z., H.-T. Liu, Z.-Y. Liu, and G.-D. Wang. Microstructure, texture evolution and magnetic properties of strip-casting non-oriented 6.5wt% Si electrical steel doped with cerium. Materials Characterization, Vol. 103, 2015, pp. 101–106.10.1016/j.matchar.2015.03.024Search in Google Scholar

[12] Lingzhi, W., D. K. Faraz, Z. Cong, Z. Ruijie, J. Xue, W. Yongwei, et al. Microstructure and mechanical characterization of additively manufactured Fe11Cr8Ni5Co3Mo martensitic stainless steel. Materials Characterization, Vol. 203, 2023, pp. 113106–113120.10.1016/j.matchar.2023.113106Search in Google Scholar

[13] Wang, H., Y. Bao, M. Zhao, M. Wang, X. Yuan, and S. Gao. Effect of Ce on the cleanliness, microstructure and mechanical properties of high strength low alloy steel Q690E in industrial production process. International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials, Vol. 26, No. 11, 2019, pp. 1372–1384.10.1007/s12613-019-1871-0Search in Google Scholar

[14] Ziyue, N., C. Dawei, L. Mingbo, H. Bing, L. Xiaojia, and C. Jiwen. The rapid detection of La and Ce in steel materials by portable EDXRF. Spectroscopy and Spectral Analysis, Vol. 40, No. 9, 2020, pp. 2974–2980.Search in Google Scholar

[15] Ren, Q., L. Zhang, and W. Yang. Effect of oxide inclusions on the magnetic properties of non-oriented electrical steel. Steel Research International, Vol. 89, No. 12, 2018, pp. 1800047–1800057.10.1002/srin.201800047Search in Google Scholar

[16] Wang, J., Q. Ren, Y. Luo, and L. Zhang. Effect of non-metallic precipitates and grain size on core loss of non-oriented electrical silicon steel. Journal of Magnetism and Mag-netic Materials, Vol. 451, 2018, pp. 454–462.10.1016/j.jmmm.2017.11.072Search in Google Scholar

[17] Fujikura, M., H. Murakami, Y. Ushigami, S. Arai, and K. Iwata. Effects of Cu precipitates on magnetic properties of nonoriented electrical steel. IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 51, No. 5, 2015, pp. 1–4.10.1109/TMAG.2014.2365442Search in Google Scholar

[18] Fan, L., R. Zhu, J. He, and B. Lu. Effect of rare earth element La on texture and inclusion of non-oriented electrical steel produced by thin slab casting and rolling process. ISIJ International, Vol. 58, No. 12, 2018, pp. 2348–2353.10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2018-392Search in Google Scholar

[19] Kurosaki, Y., M. Shiozaki, K. Higashine, and M. Sumimoto. Effect of oxide shape on magnetic properties of semiprocessed nonoriented electrical steel sheets. ISIJ International, Vol. 39, No. 6, 1999, pp. 607–613.10.2355/isijinternational.39.607Search in Google Scholar

[20] He, Z., Y. Sha, Y. Gao, S. Chang, F. Zhang, and L. Zuo. Recrystallization texture development in rare-earth(RE)-doped non-oriented silicon steel. Journal of Iron and Steel Research, International, Vol. 27, No. 11, 2020, pp. 1339–1346.10.1007/s42243-020-00416-xSearch in Google Scholar
Received: 2023-10-04
Revised: 2024-01-23
Accepted: 2024-02-02
Published Online: 2024-03-05

© 2024 the author(s), published by De Gruyter

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Research Articles
  2. De-chlorination of poly(vinyl) chloride using Fe2O3 and the improvement of chlorine fixing ratio in FeCl2 by SiO2 addition
  3. Reductive behavior of nickel and iron metallization in magnesian siliceous nickel laterite ores under the action of sulfur-bearing natural gas
  4. Study on properties of CaF2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO–B2O3 electroslag remelting slag for rack plate steel
  5. The origin of {113}<361> grains and their impact on secondary recrystallization in producing ultra-thin grain-oriented electrical steel
  6. Channel parameter optimization of one-strand slab induction heating tundish with double channels
  7. Effect of rare-earth Ce on the texture of non-oriented silicon steels
  8. Performance optimization of PERC solar cells based on laser ablation forming local contact on the rear
  9. Effect of ladle-lining materials on inclusion evolution in Al-killed steel during LF refining
  10. Analysis of metallurgical defects in enamel steel castings
  11. Effect of cooling rate and Nb synergistic strengthening on microstructure and mechanical properties of high-strength rebar
  12. Effect of grain size on fatigue strength of 304 stainless steel
  13. Analysis and control of surface cracks in a B-bearing continuous casting blooms
  14. Application of laser surface detection technology in blast furnace gas flow control and optimization
  15. Preparation of MoO3 powder by hydrothermal method
  16. The comparative study of Ti-bearing oxides introduced by different methods
  17. Application of MgO/ZrO2 coating on 309 stainless steel to increase resistance to corrosion at high temperatures and oxidation by an electrochemical method
  18. Effect of applying a full oxygen blast furnace on carbon emissions based on a carbon metabolism calculation model
  19. Characterization of low-damage cutting of alfalfa stalks by self-sharpening cutters made of gradient materials
  20. Thermo-mechanical effects and microstructural evolution-coupled numerical simulation on the hot forming processes of superalloy turbine disk
  21. Endpoint prediction of BOF steelmaking based on state-of-the-art machine learning and deep learning algorithms
  22. Effect of calcium treatment on inclusions in 38CrMoAl high aluminum steel
  23. Effect of isothermal transformation temperature on the microstructure, precipitation behavior, and mechanical properties of anti-seismic rebar
  24. Evolution of residual stress and microstructure of 2205 duplex stainless steel welded joints during different post-weld heat treatment
  25. Effect of heating process on the corrosion resistance of zinc iron alloy coatings
  26. BOF steelmaking endpoint carbon content and temperature soft sensor model based on supervised weighted local structure preserving projection
  27. Innovative approaches to enhancing crack repair: Performance optimization of biopolymer-infused CXT
  28. Structural and electrochromic property control of WO3 films through fine-tuning of film-forming parameters
  29. Influence of non-linear thermal radiation on the dynamics of homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions between the cone and the disk
  30. Thermodynamic modeling of stacking fault energy in Fe–Mn–C austenitic steels
  31. Research on the influence of cemented carbide micro-textured structure on tribological properties
  32. Performance evaluation of fly ash-lime-gypsum-quarry dust (FALGQ) bricks for sustainable construction
  33. First-principles study on the interfacial interactions between h-BN and Si3N4
  34. Analysis of carbon emission reduction capacity of hydrogen-rich oxygen blast furnace based on renewable energy hydrogen production
  35. Just-in-time updated DBN BOF steel-making soft sensor model based on dense connectivity of key features
  36. Effect of tempering temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Q125 shale gas casing steel
  37. Review Articles
  38. A review of emerging trends in Laves phase research: Bibliometric analysis and visualization
  39. Effect of bottom stirring on bath mixing and transfer behavior during scrap melting in BOF steelmaking: A review
  40. High-temperature antioxidant silicate coating of low-density Nb–Ti–Al alloy: A review
  41. Communications
  42. Experimental investigation on the deterioration of the physical and mechanical properties of autoclaved aerated concrete at elevated temperatures
  43. Damage evaluation of the austenitic heat-resistance steel subjected to creep by using Kikuchi pattern parameters
  44. Topical Issue on Focus of Hot Deformation of Metaland High Entropy Alloys - Part II
  45. Synthesis of aluminium (Al) and alumina (Al2O3)-based graded material by gravity casting
  46. Experimental investigation into machining performance of magnesium alloy AZ91D under dry, minimum quantity lubrication, and nano minimum quantity lubrication environments
  47. Numerical simulation of temperature distribution and residual stress in TIG welding of stainless-steel single-pass flange butt joint using finite element analysis
  48. Special Issue on A Deep Dive into Machining and Welding Advancements - Part I
  49. Electro-thermal performance evaluation of a prismatic battery pack for an electric vehicle
  50. Experimental analysis and optimization of machining parameters for Nitinol alloy: A Taguchi and multi-attribute decision-making approach
  51. Experimental and numerical analysis of temperature distributions in SA 387 pressure vessel steel during submerged arc welding
  52. Optimization of process parameters in plasma arc cutting of commercial-grade aluminium plate
  53. Multi-response optimization of friction stir welding using fuzzy-grey system
  54. Mechanical and micro-structural studies of pulsed and constant current TIG weldments of super duplex stainless steels and Austenitic stainless steels
  55. Stretch-forming characteristics of austenitic material stainless steel 304 at hot working temperatures
  56. Work hardening and X-ray diffraction studies on ASS 304 at high temperatures
  57. Study of phase equilibrium of refractory high-entropy alloys using the atomic size difference concept for turbine blade applications
  58. A novel intelligent tool wear monitoring system in ball end milling of Ti6Al4V alloy using artificial neural network
  59. A hybrid approach for the machinability analysis of Incoloy 825 using the entropy-MOORA method
  60. Special Issue on Recent Developments in 3D Printed Carbon Materials - Part II
  61. Innovations for sustainable chemical manufacturing and waste minimization through green production practices
  62. Topical Issue on Conference on Materials, Manufacturing Processes and Devices - Part I
  63. Characterization of Co–Ni–TiO2 coatings prepared by combined sol-enhanced and pulse current electrodeposition methods
  64. Hot deformation behaviors and microstructure characteristics of Cr–Mo–Ni–V steel with a banded structure
  65. Effects of normalizing and tempering temperature on the bainite microstructure and properties of low alloy fire-resistant steel bars
  66. Dynamic evolution of residual stress upon manufacturing Al-based diesel engine diaphragm
  67. Study on impact resistance of steel fiber reinforced concrete after exposure to fire
  68. Bonding behaviour between steel fibre and concrete matrix after experiencing elevated temperature at various loading rates
  69. Diffusion law of sulfate ions in coral aggregate seawater concrete in the marine environment
  70. Microstructure evolution and grain refinement mechanism of 316LN steel
  71. Investigation of the interface and physical properties of a Kovar alloy/Cu composite wire processed by multi-pass drawing
  72. The investigation of peritectic solidification of high nitrogen stainless steels by in-situ observation
  73. Microstructure and mechanical properties of submerged arc welded medium-thickness Q690qE high-strength steel plate joints
  74. Experimental study on the effect of the riveting process on the bending resistance of beams composed of galvanized Q235 steel
  75. Density functional theory study of Mg–Ho intermetallic phases
  76. Investigation of electrical properties and PTCR effect in double-donor doping BaTiO3 lead-free ceramics
  77. Special Issue on Thermal Management and Heat Transfer
  78. On the thermal performance of a three-dimensional cross-ternary hybrid nanofluid over a wedge using a Bayesian regularization neural network approach
  79. Time dependent model to analyze the magnetic refrigeration performance of gadolinium near the room temperature
  80. Heat transfer characteristics in a non-Newtonian (Williamson) hybrid nanofluid with Hall and convective boundary effects
  81. Computational role of homogeneous–heterogeneous chemical reactions and a mixed convective ternary hybrid nanofluid in a vertical porous microchannel
  82. Thermal conductivity evaluation of magnetized non-Newtonian nanofluid and dusty particles with thermal radiation
https://doi.org/10.1515/htmp-2022-0321
Keywords for this article
rare earth; non-oriented silicon steel; texture; inclusions; magnetic properties
Creative Commons
BY 4.0

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Research Articles
  2. De-chlorination of poly(vinyl) chloride using Fe2O3 and the improvement of chlorine fixing ratio in FeCl2 by SiO2 addition
  3. Reductive behavior of nickel and iron metallization in magnesian siliceous nickel laterite ores under the action of sulfur-bearing natural gas
  4. Study on properties of CaF2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO–B2O3 electroslag remelting slag for rack plate steel
  5. The origin of {113}<361> grains and their impact on secondary recrystallization in producing ultra-thin grain-oriented electrical steel
  6. Channel parameter optimization of one-strand slab induction heating tundish with double channels
  7. Effect of rare-earth Ce on the texture of non-oriented silicon steels
  8. Performance optimization of PERC solar cells based on laser ablation forming local contact on the rear
  9. Effect of ladle-lining materials on inclusion evolution in Al-killed steel during LF refining
  10. Analysis of metallurgical defects in enamel steel castings
  11. Effect of cooling rate and Nb synergistic strengthening on microstructure and mechanical properties of high-strength rebar
  12. Effect of grain size on fatigue strength of 304 stainless steel
  13. Analysis and control of surface cracks in a B-bearing continuous casting blooms
  14. Application of laser surface detection technology in blast furnace gas flow control and optimization
  15. Preparation of MoO3 powder by hydrothermal method
  16. The comparative study of Ti-bearing oxides introduced by different methods
  17. Application of MgO/ZrO2 coating on 309 stainless steel to increase resistance to corrosion at high temperatures and oxidation by an electrochemical method
  18. Effect of applying a full oxygen blast furnace on carbon emissions based on a carbon metabolism calculation model
  19. Characterization of low-damage cutting of alfalfa stalks by self-sharpening cutters made of gradient materials
  20. Thermo-mechanical effects and microstructural evolution-coupled numerical simulation on the hot forming processes of superalloy turbine disk
  21. Endpoint prediction of BOF steelmaking based on state-of-the-art machine learning and deep learning algorithms
  22. Effect of calcium treatment on inclusions in 38CrMoAl high aluminum steel
  23. Effect of isothermal transformation temperature on the microstructure, precipitation behavior, and mechanical properties of anti-seismic rebar
  24. Evolution of residual stress and microstructure of 2205 duplex stainless steel welded joints during different post-weld heat treatment
  25. Effect of heating process on the corrosion resistance of zinc iron alloy coatings
  26. BOF steelmaking endpoint carbon content and temperature soft sensor model based on supervised weighted local structure preserving projection
  27. Innovative approaches to enhancing crack repair: Performance optimization of biopolymer-infused CXT
  28. Structural and electrochromic property control of WO3 films through fine-tuning of film-forming parameters
  29. Influence of non-linear thermal radiation on the dynamics of homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions between the cone and the disk
  30. Thermodynamic modeling of stacking fault energy in Fe–Mn–C austenitic steels
  31. Research on the influence of cemented carbide micro-textured structure on tribological properties
  32. Performance evaluation of fly ash-lime-gypsum-quarry dust (FALGQ) bricks for sustainable construction
  33. First-principles study on the interfacial interactions between h-BN and Si3N4
  34. Analysis of carbon emission reduction capacity of hydrogen-rich oxygen blast furnace based on renewable energy hydrogen production
  35. Just-in-time updated DBN BOF steel-making soft sensor model based on dense connectivity of key features
  36. Effect of tempering temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Q125 shale gas casing steel
  37. Review Articles
  38. A review of emerging trends in Laves phase research: Bibliometric analysis and visualization
  39. Effect of bottom stirring on bath mixing and transfer behavior during scrap melting in BOF steelmaking: A review
  40. High-temperature antioxidant silicate coating of low-density Nb–Ti–Al alloy: A review
  41. Communications
  42. Experimental investigation on the deterioration of the physical and mechanical properties of autoclaved aerated concrete at elevated temperatures
  43. Damage evaluation of the austenitic heat-resistance steel subjected to creep by using Kikuchi pattern parameters
  44. Topical Issue on Focus of Hot Deformation of Metaland High Entropy Alloys - Part II
  45. Synthesis of aluminium (Al) and alumina (Al2O3)-based graded material by gravity casting
  46. Experimental investigation into machining performance of magnesium alloy AZ91D under dry, minimum quantity lubrication, and nano minimum quantity lubrication environments
  47. Numerical simulation of temperature distribution and residual stress in TIG welding of stainless-steel single-pass flange butt joint using finite element analysis
  48. Special Issue on A Deep Dive into Machining and Welding Advancements - Part I
  49. Electro-thermal performance evaluation of a prismatic battery pack for an electric vehicle
  50. Experimental analysis and optimization of machining parameters for Nitinol alloy: A Taguchi and multi-attribute decision-making approach
  51. Experimental and numerical analysis of temperature distributions in SA 387 pressure vessel steel during submerged arc welding
  52. Optimization of process parameters in plasma arc cutting of commercial-grade aluminium plate
  53. Multi-response optimization of friction stir welding using fuzzy-grey system
  54. Mechanical and micro-structural studies of pulsed and constant current TIG weldments of super duplex stainless steels and Austenitic stainless steels
  55. Stretch-forming characteristics of austenitic material stainless steel 304 at hot working temperatures
  56. Work hardening and X-ray diffraction studies on ASS 304 at high temperatures
  57. Study of phase equilibrium of refractory high-entropy alloys using the atomic size difference concept for turbine blade applications
  58. A novel intelligent tool wear monitoring system in ball end milling of Ti6Al4V alloy using artificial neural network
  59. A hybrid approach for the machinability analysis of Incoloy 825 using the entropy-MOORA method
  60. Special Issue on Recent Developments in 3D Printed Carbon Materials - Part II
  61. Innovations for sustainable chemical manufacturing and waste minimization through green production practices
  62. Topical Issue on Conference on Materials, Manufacturing Processes and Devices - Part I
  63. Characterization of Co–Ni–TiO2 coatings prepared by combined sol-enhanced and pulse current electrodeposition methods
  64. Hot deformation behaviors and microstructure characteristics of Cr–Mo–Ni–V steel with a banded structure
  65. Effects of normalizing and tempering temperature on the bainite microstructure and properties of low alloy fire-resistant steel bars
  66. Dynamic evolution of residual stress upon manufacturing Al-based diesel engine diaphragm
  67. Study on impact resistance of steel fiber reinforced concrete after exposure to fire
  68. Bonding behaviour between steel fibre and concrete matrix after experiencing elevated temperature at various loading rates
  69. Diffusion law of sulfate ions in coral aggregate seawater concrete in the marine environment
  70. Microstructure evolution and grain refinement mechanism of 316LN steel
  71. Investigation of the interface and physical properties of a Kovar alloy/Cu composite wire processed by multi-pass drawing
  72. The investigation of peritectic solidification of high nitrogen stainless steels by in-situ observation
  73. Microstructure and mechanical properties of submerged arc welded medium-thickness Q690qE high-strength steel plate joints
  74. Experimental study on the effect of the riveting process on the bending resistance of beams composed of galvanized Q235 steel
  75. Density functional theory study of Mg–Ho intermetallic phases
  76. Investigation of electrical properties and PTCR effect in double-donor doping BaTiO3 lead-free ceramics
  77. Special Issue on Thermal Management and Heat Transfer
  78. On the thermal performance of a three-dimensional cross-ternary hybrid nanofluid over a wedge using a Bayesian regularization neural network approach
  79. Time dependent model to analyze the magnetic refrigeration performance of gadolinium near the room temperature
  80. Heat transfer characteristics in a non-Newtonian (Williamson) hybrid nanofluid with Hall and convective boundary effects
  81. Computational role of homogeneous–heterogeneous chemical reactions and a mixed convective ternary hybrid nanofluid in a vertical porous microchannel
  82. Thermal conductivity evaluation of magnetized non-Newtonian nanofluid and dusty particles with thermal radiation
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 12.10.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/htmp-2022-0321/html?lang=en&srsltid=AfmBOopJSQWTyquQpHF4TQGaci0usJNyigNHqxKgDbu1GjrYrKWfcvOn
Scroll to top button