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

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.