Abstract
The variation in microstructure and texture during continuous annealing was examined in a series of 1.6% Mn-0.1% Cr-0.3% Mo-0.005% B steels with carbon contents in the range of 0.010 to 0.030%. It was found that microstructure of hot band consisted of ferrite and pearlite as a consequence of high coiling temperature, and eutectoid carbon content was between 0.011% and 0.016%. Martensite ranged in volume fraction from 1.5% to 4.0% when annealed at $820{\circ}C$ according to the typical continuous annealing cycle. The critical martensite content for the continuous yielding was about 4% from stress-strain curves. The continuous yielding was obtained in the 0.030% carbon steel and 0.010% to 0.020% carbon steels revealed some yield point elongation ranging from 0.8% to 2.2% in as-annealed conditions. Higher tensile strength in the higher carbon steel is due to both increase in the martensite volume fraction and ferrite grain refinement. Decreasing the carbon content to 0.01% strengthened the intensities of ${\gamma}$-fiber textures, resulting in the increase in the $r_m$ value, which was caused by the lower volume fraction of martensite. The higher carbon steels showed the lower $r_m$ value of about 1.0.
