Microstructural, textural, and residual stress evolution alongside the magnetic properties through isothermal static recrystallization of cold-drawn Fe–Cr–Si–S–C ferritic high-alloy stainless steel and by JMAK modelling

The evolution of microstructures, textures, and residual stresses scale of cold-drawn (CD) 18%Cr ferritic stainless steels (FSS) round bars under isothermal static recrystallization annealing are investigated. As for determination of the new grains' formation, the size, growth, and orientation, as well as the nucleation of grains, alongside revealing the recrystallization fractions are studied by a mixed experimental and theoretical work. The recrystallization kinetics are calculated according to the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov theory. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analyses are applied for the actual specimens of an industrial wire drawing process with 20 and 35% reduction rates. The heat treatment has been implemented at three different set ratio temperatures of 0.65, 0.68, and 0.71, defining as a ratio between the temperatures of annealing and melting point (TRAM). According to the results, the nucleation is occurred at faster incubation time with higher temperature and reduction rate. The grain average size (AGS) increases gradually whereas the temperature increases. This is while the 0.71TRAM-scale annealed samples illustrate finer and more equiaxed recrystallized grains. Following recovery, recrystallized grains, and the grain growth, the overall varied AGS of 27–86 μm in the core region are achieved. Moreover, the JMAK model agrees well with the obtained experimental data. All in all, this 18Cr-FSS material is taken into account for the optimal industrial annealing production as well as the targeted material selection of the market applications. It is observed that the higher recrystallization leads the higher magnetic permeability, lower coercivity, and lower residual stresses compared to the unheated specimens.