Influence of high deformation on the microstructure of low-carbon steel

Low-carbon steel sheets DC04 used in the automotive industry were subjected to cold rolling for thickness reduction from 20% to 89%. The desired thickness was achieved by successive reductions using a rolling mill. The influence of thickness reduction on the microstructure was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Microstructure evolution was characterized by the distortion of grains and the occurrence of the oriented grain structure for high cold work. A mechanism of grain restructuring for high cold work was described. The occurrence of voids was discussed in relation with cold work. The evolution of voids at the grain boundaries and inside the grains was also considered. To characterize the grain size, the Feret diameter was measured and the grain size distribution versus cold work was discussed. The chemical homogeneity of the sample was also analyzed.