Materials Science Forum, Vol.426-4, 223-228, 2003
Mechanical properties of IF steel produced by thin slab casting and direct hot rolling process
Mechanical properties of IF steels containing various combination of Nb, Ti and B produced by thin slab casting and direct hot rolling process were investigated. Molten steel was cast into a thin slab with 50 mm thickness by using pilot plant and hot rolled to 5 mm thickness directly. The hot rolled sheets were cold rolled and annealed by continuous annealing or batch annealing. 16 ppm C-0.02% Nb and B free steel continuously annealed exhibited the most excellent property ahead of batch annealed one, however, the both are qualified as deep drawing grade. Nb makes the grain size in hot rolled band fine, resulting in improving T value of final product. The preferred orientation in the continuously annealed and batch annealed steel sheet is the same as {554}<225> orientation. Cold working embrittlement is less in continuously annealed steel sheet than batch annealed one.