Simultaneous decarburizing and nitriding: effects on structure and magnetic properties of 3%Si grain-oriented electrical steel

Abstract Lab experiments were carried out to check the effect of some process parameters of nitriding, performed simultaneously with decarburization, on magnetic properties of 3%Si Grain-oriented silicon steel produced by a low slab reheating technology. The samples of (GO) 3% Si steel collected as 0.27mm cold-rolled were submitted to a continuous annealing process at two temperatures, 860 and 900ºC; three annealing times, 63.6, 95.4, and 119.25s; and three ammonia flows 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4Nm3/h. The nitrogen content obtained after the treatments was much higher than those obtained by the currently used process, and it increased as the ammonia flow rates and soaking times were increased, hindering the primary grain growth that adversely affected the magnetic properties. The increase of annealing temperature improved the decarburization and the magnetic properties. The best magnetic properties were found in the sample with the highest primary grain size and the lowest amount of absorbed nitrogen. The success of this practice, in terms of magnetic properties, was pointed out to be based on a drastic reduction on strip nitrogen increase.