Effect of antimony addition and asymmetric cold rolling on the texture and magnetic properties of a 1.2% Si steel

•Interaction of Sb and asymmetric rolling resulted in the formation of shear bands.•In the sample with the highest Sb content, the intensity of the θ-fiber increased.•The sample with the highest Sb content exhibited the highest texture parameter.•The lowest coercivity and remanence belonged to the sample with the highest Sb. This paper investigates the effect of antimony on the microstructure, texture, and magnetic properties of a 1.2 wt% Si steel sheet produced by asymmetric cold rolling. First, the specimens were cast with three different antimony percentages, and after homogenization and hot rolling, they were subjected to an intermediate annealing treatment at 1150 °C for 30 min. The sheet thickness was then reduced to 1 mm using an asymmetric cold rolling process with 80% thickness reduction and finally, the final annealing treatment was performed at 1000 °C for 3 min. The results indicated that increasing antimony improved the texture parameter by increasing the intensity of the θ-fiber. Antimony also accelerated the formation and density of shear bands. Additionally, Cube components nucleated predominantly in shear bands, enhancing the desired texture in the microstructure. Texture evolution affected the magnetic properties of the specimens such that the sample containing 0.026 wt% Sb exhibiting the lowest coercivity and remanence compared to the sample devoid of antimony. It seems that asymmetric rolling has a good interaction with antimony to improve the magnetic properties of low silicon steels.