Effects of Aluminum and Nitrogen Contents on Recrystallization in Fe-Al-N Alloys

Abstract

The effects of aluminum and nitrogen contents on recovery, recrystallization and texture-development in Fe-Al-N alloys were investigated.The specimens could be classified into two types according to their annealing behaviors.Alloys which contained less than 0.02% aluminum belonged to type I, and those which contained more than 0.060% aluminum or both aluminum (0.06%) and nitrogen were classified as type II.
During annealing, type I alloys recovered to a greater extent than type II in which recovery was inhibited.
In type I alloys, the recrystallization proceeded gradually after it had started.At 720°C, these alloys gave the {544}‹225›oriented recrystallization texture. This orientation became prominent as aluminum content was increased.
On the other hand, in type II alloys, the recrystallization proceeded rapidly once it had started because of their larger driving force for grain boundary migration.At 720°C, some specimens which contained 0.06% aluminum and less than 0.005% nitrogen yielded the {111}‹110›+ {554}‹225›oriented recrystallization texture, but the others, which contained excess amount of aluminum or nitrogen, showed a wider scatter from these orientations.
Discussions were made concerning the processes of texture development in Fe-Al-N alloys.