Effect of lubrication on the evolution of through-thickness texture gradients in cold rolled and recrystallized low carbon steel

Samples of a low carbon steel sheet were deformed by cold rolling with and without application of a lubricant during the deformation process. The effect of the different deformation procedures on the evolution of microstructure and texture during the rolling and a subsequent recrystallization annealing was studied by means of X-ray texture analysis and TEM microstructural investigations. Whereas the samples rolled with lubrication showed uniform textures and microstructures through the sheet thickness, in the samples rolled without lubrication pronounced shear textures were observed at the sheet surface. The evolution of these through-thickness texture gradients can be explained in terms of different strain states during the deformation process.