TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a method for producing a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet suitable for use in an iron core material for a transformer or the like.

RELATED ART

The electrical steel sheets are soft magnetic materials widely used as an iron core material for transformers, motors and the like. Among them, the grain-oriented electrical steel sheets exhibit excellent magnetic properties and are mainly used as an iron core material for large-size transformers and the like because they are highly aligned into a crystal grain orientation of {110}<001> orientation called as Goss orientation. To this end, a main subject for development of the conventional grain-oriented electrical steel sheets lies in the reduction of loss, or iron loss caused in the excitation of the steel sheet for reducing no-load loss of the transformer (energy loss).

As a general production method of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet is known a method utilizing fine precipitates called as an inhibitor. The feature of this method lies in that grain growth is promoted by finely dispersing and precipitating inhibitors in steel during finish annealing to preferentially perform secondary recrystallization of only the Goss orientation. However, in order to finely precipitate the inhibitors, it is necessary that ingredients forming the inhibitor have been completely solid-soluted in steel at a stage before hot rolling. In the conventional method, therefore, it was required to reheat a slab to a temperature of not lower than 1300Â° C. at a slab heating step before hot rolling. Moreover, the inhibitor is useful for preferentially growing Goss orientation during finish annealing, but deteriorates magnetic properties if it is retained in a product sheet. To this end, it is required to perform purification annealing for the removal of inhibitor ingredients in a hydrogen atmosphere of a high temperature after the completion of secondary recrystallization through finish annealing.

Therefore, there is developed a method for producing a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet without using the inhibitor as much as possible, or a so-called inhibitor-less method. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique wherein a dependency of grain boundary mobility on crystal orientation angle difference is utilized to perform secondary recrystallization of Goss oriented grains even if a composition system contains no inhibitor ingredients. Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a method wherein a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet having high-order magnetic properties is stably produced by adjusting a mass ratio of Al and N slightly contained in steel even in the inhibitor-less case. The production method of such an inhibitor-less grain-oriented electrical steel sheet has a merit that the production cost can be decreased because slab heating at a high temperature required for effectively developing the function of the inhibitor and a removal step of inhibitor ingredients through finish annealing at a high temperature are not necessary.

In order to reduce iron loss of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet, it is important that only crystal grains of Goss orientation or orientation close thereto are grown by secondary recrystallization regardless of the possibility of inhibitor use. Apart from this, it is known to reduce the iron loss by refining crystal grain size of a product sheet, or secondary recrystallized grains. In the latter case, magnetic domains in the steel sheet are refined by the refining of the secondary recrystallized grains to reduce joule heat due to eddy current associated with domain wall displacement when the steel sheet is excited, or abnormal eddy current loss.

As a method of industrially attaining the refining of the secondary recrystallized grains is known a method wherein rapid heating up to not lower than 700Â° C. is performed at a heating rate of not less than 80Â° C./s just before decarburization annealing or in the heating process of decarburization annealing as disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 3. This is a technique that when the rapid heating is applied to the steel sheet after the final cold rolling, Goss orientation ({110}<001>) as a nucleus for secondary recrystallization in a primary recrystallized texture after decarburization annealing is increased and then many nuclei of Goss orientation are subjected to secondary recrystallization in the subsequent finish annealing to relatively refine the secondary recrystallized grains.

In the decarburization annealing, an annealing atmosphere is rendered oxidizing, so that an oxide coating composed mainly of Si and Fe oxides (this oxide coating is called as â€œsubscaleâ€ hereinafter) is formed on the surface of the steel sheet. When an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO is applied onto the surface of the steel sheet having the subscale to perform finish annealing, a forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) layer is formed by the reaction of the subscale and MgO, which plays a role as an insulation coating when product sheets are stacked in use. In the method of heating the steel sheet to a higher temperature for a short time as disclosed in Patent Document 3, however, fayalite (Fe₂SiO₄) is excessively formed in the oxide coating formed on the surface of the steel sheet, so that there is a problem that the formation of the forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) coating becomes unstable in the subsequent finish annealing.

As a countermeasure to this problem, for example, Patent Document 4 discloses a technique that rapid heating is performed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere having an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2of not more than 0.2 to suppress the excessive formation of fayalite in an initial oxidation. However, there is a problem that a dense oxide layer is formed on the surface of the steel sheet by the rapid heating in the non-oxidizing atmosphere to block decarburization reaction in the subsequent decarburization annealing. If C is not removed in the decarburization annealing sufficiently and is retained in the product sheet, the magnetic properties of the product sheet are deteriorated with the lapse of time, or so-called magnetic aging is caused. Therefore, Patent Document 5 proposes a technique that a wet hydrogen atmosphere having an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2of not less than 0.41 is used to suppress the formation of the dense oxide layer and ensure the decarburization property.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTSPatent Documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3707268

Patent Document 2: JP-A-2010-100885

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 2679928

Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent No. 2983128

Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent No. 3392669

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTask to be Solved by the Invention

However, the technique of Patent Document 5 performing the rapid heating in an oxidizing atmosphere is opposite to the technique of Patent Document 4 forming the forsterite coating by heating in a non-oxidizing atmosphere. Therefore, the conventional techniques have a problem that it is difficult to establish the decarburization property and the stable formation of the forsterite coating over a full length of a coil.

As previously mentioned, the poor decarburization causes the deterioration of the magnetic properties due to magnetic aging. And also, the forsterite coating improves the iron loss when tension is applied to the steel sheet, while when the grain-oriented electrical steel sheets are stacked and used as an iron core or the like, the coating functions as an insulation layer of suppressing flowing of an eddy current through the stacked steel sheets to prevent the increase of the iron loss. However, if the formation of the forsterite coating is insufficient, the coating is peeled off from the surface of the steel sheet when deformation such as bending or the like is applied to the steel sheet, which causes the deterioration of the insulation property.

When the rapid heating technique is applied to the production method of the inhibitor-less grain-oriented electrical steel sheet, if the forsterite coating is not formed sufficiently, nitrogen used as an inert gas in the annealing atmosphere penetrates into steel during the finish annealing and forms AlN by reaction with Al slightly contained in steel. MN is a type of the inhibitor, but there is a problem that if MN is excessively formed by the penetration of nitrogen, suppression force on the growth of the primary recrystallized grains in the finish annealing becomes strong too much, so that the secondary recrystallization becomes unstable and hence it is difficult to provide good magnetic properties.

The invention is made in view of the above problems inherent to the conventional techniques and is to propose a method for producing a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet wherein even if rapid heating is performed in the heating process of decarburization annealing in the production of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet using an inhibitor-less composition system, the decarburization property is ensured sufficiently and the formation of the forsterite coating in the finish annealing is stabilized to provide excellent iron loss property and forsterite coating peeling resistance over a full length of a coil.

Solution for Task

The inventors have focused on a heating pattern in the heating process of the decarburization annealing and made various studies for solving the above problems. As a result, it has been found that when a heating rate at a high temperature exceeding 700Â° C. is controlled to an adequate range in the heating process of the decarburization annealing, the formation of excessive fayalite can be suppressed on the surface layer of the steel sheet to form a sound oxide layer and the decarburization property can be ensured sufficiently, and hence the invention has been accomplished.

The invention proposes a method for producing a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet by comprising a series of steps of subjecting a slab having a chemical composition comprising C: 0.002-0.10 mass %, Si: 2.5-6.0 mass %, Mn: 0.010-0.8 mass %, Al: less than 0.010 mass %, N: less than 0.0050 mass %, Se: less than 0.0030 mass % and S: less than 0.0050 mass %, provided that a mass ratio Al/N of Al and N is not less than 1.4, and the remainder being Fe and inevitable impurities to hot rolling, hot band annealing, one or two or more cold rollings sandwiching an intermediate annealing therebetween, formation of subscale on steel sheet surface through decarburization annealing, application of an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO onto steel sheet surface and finish annealing, characterized in that when a certain temperature within a range of 700-800Â° C. in a heating process of the decarburization annealing is T1 and a certain temperature as a soaking temperature within a range of 820-900Â° C. is T2, a heating rate R1 between 500Â° C. and T1 is set to not less than 100Â° C./s and a heating rate R2 between T1 and T2 is set to not more than 15Â° C./s.

The production method of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the invention is characterized in that an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2in an atmosphere reaching to the soaking temperature T2 in the decarburization annealing is within a range of 0.20-0.55.

Also, the production method of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the invention is characterized in that a time of keeping a temperature not lower than the soaking temperature T2 but not higher than 900Â° C. and making an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2of the atmosphere not more than 0.10 is provided for not less than 5 seconds after the soaking temperature T2 is reached in the decarburization annealing before a temperature is cooled to not higher than 800Â° C.

Furthermore, the production method of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the invention is characterized in that a coating weight converted to oxygen per one-side surface of the steel sheet after the decarburization annealing is 0.30-0.75 g/m².

The slab used in the production method of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the invention is characterized by containing one or more selected from Cr: 0.01-0.50 mass %, Cu: 0.01-0.50 mass %, P: 0.005-0.50 mass %, Ni: 0.01-1.50 mass %, Sb: 0.005-0.50 mass %, Sn: 0.005-0.50 mass %, Mo: 0.005-0.100 mass %, B: 0.0002-0.0025 mass %, Nb: 0.0010-0.0100 mass % and V: 0.001-0.01 mass % in addition to the above chemical composition.

Further, the production method of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the invention is characterized in that the surface of the steel sheet is subjected to magnetic domain refining treatment at either step after the cold rolling.

Effect of the Invention

According to the invention, it is possible to stably provide a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet having excellent iron loss property and forsterite coating peeling resistance over a full length of coil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph showing an influence of a heating rate R1 from 500Â° C. to a temperature Ti upon iron loss W_17/50.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing an influence of a temperature T1 and a heating rate R2 from temperature T1 to 850Â° C. upon forsterite coating peeling resistance.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing an influence of an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2of an atmosphere during the heating for decarburization annealing upon decarburization property and forsterite coating peeling resistance.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an influence of a coating weight converted to oxygen after the decarburization annealing upon iron loss W_17/50and forsterite coating peeling resistance.

EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The reason why Goss orientation in a primary recrystallized texture of a steel sheet is increased by rapid heating in a heating process of decarburization annealing is due to the fact that when recrystallization is promoted at a low temperature, grains with {111} plane are preferentially recrystallized, while when recrystallization is promoted at a high temperature, recrystallization of Goss orientation or the like, which is easy in the recrystallization followed to the {111} plane orientation, is promoted. Therefore, in order to suppress the recrystallization at the low temperature, it is desirable to perform the heating up to the high temperature in a short time as far as possible, or perform rapid heating.

On the other hand, when the steel sheet is rapidly heated to a high temperature promoting decarburization reaction, decarburization at the low temperature is inhibited, while the formation of a dense oxide layer composed of silica and fayalite on the surface layer of the steel sheet is blocked, and hence the formation of forsterite coating in the finish annealing becomes unstable.

The inventors have made the following various experiments and found out that it is possible to simultaneously establish securement of decarburization property and formation of an oxide layer required for sound forsterite coating by rapidly heating up to a temperature sufficiently forming Goss orientation, decreasing a heating rate and thereafter heating up to a soaking temperature of decarburization annealing.

The inventors have made the following experiment in order to examine conditions providing a good iron loss property by performing a heating process of decarburization annealing through rapid heating.

A steel raw material (slab) containing C: 0.04 mass %, Si: 3.2 mass %, Mn: 0.05 mass %, Al: 0.006 mass %, N: 0.0035 mass %, S: 0.0010 mass % and Se: 0.0010 mass % is hot-rolled to form a hot rolled sheet of 2.2 mm in thickness, which is subjected to a hot band annealing at 1030Â° C. for 60 seconds and then cold-rolled to form a cold rolled sheet having a final thickness of 0.27 mm. From the cold rolled sheet are cut out many specimens having a width of 100 mm and a length of 300 mm in the rolling direction as a lengthwise direction.

Then, these specimens are heated from room temperature to various temperatures Ti within a range of 650-770Â° C. in a wet hydrogen atmosphere having an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2=0.30 by variously changing a heating rate R1, and thereafter heated from the temperature T1 to a soaking temperature T2 of 850Â° C. at a heating rate of 10Â° C./s, and then subjected to decarburization annealing by soaking at 850Â° C. in the same atmosphere for 120 seconds.

Next, the specimen after the decarburization annealing is coated with an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO and subjected to finish annealing by keeping at 840Â° C. for 30 hours to cause secondary recrystallization.

With respect to the thus obtained specimens after the finish annealing is measured an iron loss W_17/50at a magnetic flux density of 1.7 T and an excitation frequency of 50 Hz according to JIS C2550.

The results of the above experiment are shown in FIG. 1. As seen from FIG. 1, the iron loss W_17/50tends to be reduced as the heating rate R1 becomes larger, but the heating rate R1 is not less than 100Â° C./s for providing a good iron loss of W_17/50â‰¦1.00 W/kg. Also, it can be seen that when a temperature T1 for changing the heating rate to 10Â° C./s is lower than 700Â° C., the good iron loss cannot be obtained even if the heating rate R1 is made larger.

The following experiment is made for examining a balance between decarburization property and forsterite coating peeling resistance when the heating rate is decreased on the way of the heating.

The specimens of 0.27 mm in thickness obtained in Experiment 1 are used and heated from 500Â° C. to various temperatures T1 (700Â° C.<T1<850Â° C.) in a wet hydrogen atmosphere having an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2=0.28 at a heating rate R1 of 200Â° C./s, and thereafter heated from the temperature T1 to a soaking temperature T2 of 850Â° C. at various heating rates R2, and then subjected to decarburization annealing by soaking at 850Â° C. in the same atmosphere for 120 seconds.

With respect to one of the specimens subjected to decarburization annealing under the same condition is identified a carbon concentration in the steel sheet after the decarburization annealing by means of an infrared absorption method after combustion. The remaining specimens after the decarburization annealing are coated on their steel sheet surfaces with an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO and subjected to finish annealing by keeping at 840Â° C. for 30 hours to cause secondary recrystallization.

With respect to the thus obtained specimens after the finish annealing is measured an iron loss W_17/50at a magnetic flux density of 1.7 T and an excitation frequency of 50 Hz according to JIS C2550, while a test is carried out for evaluating a peeling resistance of forsterite coating. In the test of the peeling resistance, the specimens cut into a width of 30 mm are wound on a plurality of cylindrical rods having diameters different every 10 mm within a range of 10-100 mmd) in the longitudinal direction to evaluate the peeling resistance by a minimum diameter causing no coating peeling (peeling diameter). In this case, the generation of the coating peeling is peeling off of the coating or generation of white lines on the surface of the specimen through breakage of the coating. Moreover, the decarburization property is evaluated as good when C concentration after the decarburization annealing is not more than 0.0030 mass % (30 massppm), while the peeling resistance is evaluated as good when the peeling diameter is not more than 30 mmÏ†.

In FIG. 2 is shown an influence of temperature T1 and heating rate R2 upon decarburization property and coating peeling resistance. As seen from FIG. 2, poor decarburization is caused at a temperature T1 exceeding 800Â° C., while the peeling resistance is deteriorated at a heating rate R2 exceeding 15Â° C./s even when the temperature T1 is within a range of 700-800Â° C.

From the results of <Experiment 1> and <Experiment 2>, it can be seen that the decarburization property and the coating peeling resistance can be ensured while maintaining the good iron loss property when the heating rate R1 in the rapid heating for decarburization annealing is not less than 100Â° C./s and the temperature T1 stopping the rapid heating is not lower than 700Â° C. but not higher than 800Â° C. and the heating rate R2 from the temperature T1 to the soaking temperature T2 is not more than 15Â° C./s.

Then, the inventors have made search and examination on an influence of an atmosphere during decarburization annealing upon the decarburization property and forsterite coating peeling resistance. As previously mentioned, the atmosphere in the heating for decarburization annealing largely exerts on the decarburization property and formation of forsterite coating. As shown in the above experimental results, the decarburization property and the formation of forsterite coating having an excellent peeling resistance can be established by decreasing the heating rate on the way of the rapid heating for decarburization annealing. However, it is considered that the better decarburization property and the formation of forsterite coating provided with an excellent peeling resistance can be attained by combining with a more preferable heating atmosphere.

A slab containing C: 0.045 mass %, Si: 3.3 mass %, Mn: 0.1 mass %, Al: 0.0050 mass %, N: 0.0030 mass %, S: 0.0005 mass % and Se: 0.0005 mass % is hot-rolled to form a hot rolled sheet of 2.2 mm in thickness, which is subjected to a hot band annealing at 1100Â° C. for 60 seconds and cold-rolled to form a cold rolled sheet having a final thickness of 0.27 mm. From the cold rolled sheets are cut out many specimens with a width of 100 mm and a length of 300 mm in the rolling direction as a longitudinal direction.

Then, the specimens are heated from 500Â° C. to a temperature T1 (=720Â° C.) at a heating rate R1 (=180Â° C./s) in a wet hydrogen atmosphere adjusted to various oxygen potentials P_H2O/P_H2and thereafter heated from the temperature T1 to a soaking temperature T2 of 850Â° C. at a heating rate of 10Â° C./s and then subjected to decarburization annealing by soaking at 850Â° C. in a wet hydrogen atmosphere adjusted to P_H2O/P_H2=0.39 for 120 seconds.

With respect to one of the specimens subjected to decarburization annealing under the same condition is identified a carbon concentration in the steel sheet after the decarburization annealing by means of an infrared absorption method after combustion. The remaining specimens after the decarburization annealing are coated on their steel sheet surfaces with an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO and subjected to finish annealing by keeping at 840Â° C. for 30 hours to cause secondary recrystallization.

With respect to the thus obtained specimens after the finish annealing is evaluated a peeling resistance of forsterite coating in the same manner as in Experiment 2.

In FIG. 3 is shown an influence of an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2of an atmosphere in the heating upon C concentration after decarburization annealing and peeling resistance of forsterite coating. As seen from FIG. 3, good decarburization property and peeling resistance can be obtained by controlling the oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2of the atmosphere at a temperature not higher than T2 to a range of not less than 0.20 but not more than 0.55.

Further, the inventors have examined a method of further reducing the iron loss in the method of the invention wherein the heating rate is decreased on the way of the rapid heating during the decarburization annealing.

When the oxidizability of the atmosphere is lowered in the heating process of the decarburization annealing, the formation of initial oxide layer formed in the heating process is delayed, so that the reaction between the iron matrix of the steel sheet and the oxidizing atmosphere is easily promoted at the stage of soaking at a high temperature during the decarburization annealing and the coating weight converted to oxygen after the decarburization annealing increases. On the other hand, when the oxidizability is made high in the heating process, a dense oxide layer is formed on the way of the heating, but decarburization is blocked by this dense oxide layer, so that the oxidation of the iron matrix is suppressed after the temperature reaches to the soaking temperature of the decarburization annealing and the coating weight converted to oxygen after the decarburization annealing is decreased.

In the finish annealing, the remaining dense oxide layer has an effect that the penetration of nitrogen used as an inert gas in the annealing atmosphere into the iron matrix through the coating is suppressed to prevent precipitation of MN due to the bonding to Al in steel. When nitriding is promoted to form a great amount of MN in steel as previously mentioned, the force of suppressing grain growth of primary recrystallized grains in the finish annealing becomes too strong in the inhibitor-less grain oriented electrical steel sheet being small in Al or N content as a raw material ingredient, and hence there is a fear of growing crystal grains other than Goss orientation.

If the rapid heating is not performed (heating rate of about 20Â° C./s), the formation of oxide layer in the surface layer of the steel sheet is caused prior to the decarburization, so that the formation of the dense oxide layer at the initial heating stage is not desirable in view of the subsequent decarburization. In the case of performing the rapid heating, the formation of the oxide layer is suppressed up to a relatively high temperature, so that it is considered to simultaneously cause the formation of initial oxide layer and the decarburization. Therefore, even if the dense oxide layer is formed in the surface layer of the steel sheet, the decarburization property can be ensured sufficiently and also the penetration of nitrogen into steel in the finish annealing can be suppressed, and hence the more reduction of iron loss cane be expected. Now, the following experiment is made for validating the above hypothesis.

A slab containing C: 0.04 mass %, Si: 3.3 mass %, Mn: 0.08 mass %, Al: 0.045 mass %, N: 0.0025 mass %, S: 0.0010 mass % and Se: 0.0015 mass % is hot-rolled to form a hot rolled sheet of 2.2 mm in thickness, which is subjected to a hot band annealing at 1040Â° C. for 60 seconds and then cold-rolled to form a cold rolled sheet having a final thickness of 0.27 mm. From the cold rolled sheet are cut out many specimens having a width of 100 mm and a length of 300 mm in the rolling direction as a longitudinal direction.

The specimens are heated from 500Â° C. to a temperature T1 (=710Â° C.) at a heating rate R1 (=200Â° C./s) in wet hydrogen atmospheres adjusted to various oxygen potentials P_H2O/P_H2and then heated from the temperature T1 to a soaking temperature T2 of 850Â° C. at a heating rate of 8Â° C./s, and thereafter subjected to decarburization annealing by soaking at 850Â° C. in a wet hydrogen atmosphere adjusted to P_H2O/P_H2=0.29 for 120 seconds.

Next, one specimen per each condition is taken out from the specimens after the decarburization annealing to identify carbon concentration after the decarburization annealing by the aforementioned method. Also, the same specimen is used to identify oxygen concentration in the steel sheet after the decarburization annealing by an infrared absorption method after fusion, from which is calculated a coating weight converted to oxygen per one-side surface supposing that all oxygen is equally distributed in surface layers at the both surfaces of the steel sheet.

On the other hand, the remaining specimens are coated on their steel sheet surfaces after the decarburization annealing with an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO and subjected to finish annealing by keeping at 840Â° C. for 30 hours to cause secondary recrystallization.

With respect to the thus obtained specimens after the finish annealing, the iron loss W_17/50is measured in the same manner as in Experiment 1, while the peeling resistance of forsterite coating is evaluated in the same manner as in Experiment 2. Moreover, the iron loss value is determined as an average value by measuring 10 specimens per each condition.

In FIG. 4 is shown an influence of the coating weight converted to oxygen per one-side surface of the steel sheet after the decarburization annealing upon the iron loss W_17/50and the peeling resistance of forsterite coating. It can be seen that when the coating weight converted to oxygen per one-side surface is made to not more than 0.75 g/m², the dense oxide layer is formed in the surface layer of the steel sheet and the better iron loss is obtained without changing a heat pattern in the heating process of the decarburization annealing. However, the peeling resistance is deteriorated even if the coating weight converted to oxygen falls below 0.30 g/m². This is considered due to the fact that when the coating weight converted to oxygen is less than 0.30 g/m², an absolute quantity of silica in subscale formed in the decarburization annealing becomes too small and the amount of forsterite coating formed in the finish annealing is lacking.

The invention is based on the above knowledge.

A chemical composition of a raw steel material (slab) used in the production of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the invention will be described below.

C: 0.002-0.10 mass %

C is an element useful for producing crystal grains of Goss orientation. In order to develop such an action effectively, it is necessary to be contained in an amount of not less than 0.002 mass %. While when it exceeds 0.10 mass %, poor decarburization is caused in the decarburization annealing, which causes magnetic aging of a product sheet. Therefore, C is a range of 0.002-0.10 mass %. Preferably, it is a range of 0.01-0.08 mass %.

Si: 2.5-6.0 mass %

Si is an element required for increasing specific resistance of steel and reducing iron loss. When it is less than 2.5 mass %, the above effect is not sufficient, while when it exceeds 6.0 mass %, workability of steel is deteriorated and it is difficult to perform rolling. Therefore, Si is a range of 2.5-6.0 mass %. Preferably, it is a range of 2.9-5.0 mass %.

Mn: 0.01-0.8 mass %

Mn is an element required for improving hot workability. When it is less than 0.01 mass %, the above effect is not obtained sufficiently, while when it exceeds 0.8 mass %, the magnetic flux density after the secondary recrystallization lowers. Therefore, Mn is a range of 0.01-0.8 mass %. Preferably, it is a range of 0.05-0.5 mass %.

In the raw steel material used in the invention, Al, N, Se and S being inhibitor forming ingredients form fine precipitates (inhibitor) of AlN, MnS, MnSe and the like to develop excessive suppressing force on grain growth of primary recrystallized grains and make secondary recrystallization of Goss orientation unstable to thereby deteriorate the magnetic properties, so that it is desirable to decrease these ingredients as far as possible. In the invention, therefore, they are limited to Al: less than 0.01 mass %, N: less than 0.0050 mass %, Se: less than 0.0030 mass % and S: less than 0.0050 mass % within a scope causing no large increase of production cost.

Al/N: not less than 1.4

A mass ratio Al/N of Al and N is necessary to be not less than 1.4. When Al/N is less than 1.4, N to Al becomes excessive, and hence there is a fear that free nitrogen forms a nitride with a slight amount of impurities in steel and strengthens an inhibitor effect in the secondary recrystallization to block preferential growth of Goss orientation. Preferably, Al/N is not less than 2.

In addition to the above ingredient, the raw steel material used in the invention may contain one or more selected from Cr: 0.01-0.50 mass %, Cu: 0.01-0.50 mass % and P: 0.005-0.50 mass % for the purpose of reducing the iron loss, or may contain one or more selected from Ni: 0.010-1.50 mass %, Sb: 0.005-0.50 mass %, Sn: 0.005-0.50 mass %, Mo: 0.005-0.100 mass %, B: 0.0002-0.0025 mass %, Nb: 0.0010-0.010 mass % and V: 0.001-0.010 mass % for the purpose of increasing the magnetic flux density. When each amount of these elements is less than the lower limit, the effect of improving the magnetic properties is small, while when it exceeds the upper limit, the growth of the secondary recrystallized grains is suppressed to deteriorate the magnetic properties.

The remainder other than the above ingredients is Fe and inevitable impurities, but ingredients other than the above ingredients may contain within a scope not damaging the effect of the invention.

There will be described the production method of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the invention below.

The raw steel material (slab) used in the invention is preferable to be produced by continuously casting through a continuous casting method or an ingot making-blooming method after a steel having the above chemical composition is melted by a well-known refining process. Also, a thin cast slab having a thickness of not more than 100 mm may be produced by a direct casting method.

The slab is hot-rolled by reheating to a given temperature through a usual manner. In this case, the reheating temperature is advantageous to be not higher than 1250Â° C. in view of the cost. Moreover, the slab after the continuous casting may be subjected directly to hot rolling without reheating. And also, the thin cast slab may be followed to subsequent steps as it is without hot rolling.

The steel sheet after the hot rolling (hot rolled sheet) is subjected to hot band annealing in order to provide good magnetic properties. The annealing temperature is preferable to be a range of 800-1150Â° C. When it is lower than 800Â° C., it is difficult to obtain primary recrystallization texture of aligned grains because band structure formed in the hot rolling retains, which blocks the development of secondary recrystallization. While when it exceeds 1150Â° C., the grain size after the hot band annealing becomes too coarsened and hence it is difficult to provide the primary recrystallization texture of aligned grains.

The steel sheet after the hot band annealing is subjected to a single cold rolling or two or more cold rollings sandwiching an intermediate annealing therebetween to form a cold rolled sheet having a final thickness. In the case of performing the intermediate annealing, the annealing temperature is preferable to be a range of 900-1200Â° C. When it is lower than 900Â° C., the recrystallized grains are refined to decrease nuclei of Goss orientation in the primary recrystallization texture to thereby bring about the deterioration of magnetic properties. While when it exceeds 1200Â° C., the grain size becomes too coarsened like the hot band annealing and it is difficult to provide the primary recrystallization texture of aligned grains.

As the final cold rolling to the final thickness may be adopted warm rolling performed by raising a temperature of the steel sheet during the rolling to 100-300Â° C. or one or more aging treatments within a range of 100-300Â° C. may be performed on the way of the cold rolling, which is effective to improve the primary recrystallization texture and improve the magnetic properties of a product sheet.

Thereafter, the cold rolled sheet of the final thickness is subjected to decarburization annealing being the most important in the invention.

A soaking temperature T2 in the decarburization annealing is preferable to be a range of 820-900Â° C. from a viewpoint of ensuring the decarburization property.

In the heating process of the decarburization annealing, a heating rate R1 from 500Â° C. to a temperature T1 is necessary to be not less than 100Â° C./s. Preferably, it is not less than 150Â° C./s. When the heating rate is less than 100Â° C./s, nuclei of Goss orientation are not sufficiently produced in the primary recrystallization texture after the decarburization annealing, and the effect of reducing the iron loss by refining of secondary recrystallized grains is not obtained sufficiently.

Moreover, the rapid heating method is not particularly limited as long as the above heating rate is attained. For example, an induction heating method, an electric heating method by flowing current through the steel sheet or the like is preferable from a viewpoint of controllability.

Also, a temperature T1 stopping the rapid heating is a certain temperature within a range of 700-800Â° C. When the temperature T1 is lower than 700Â° C., the effect by the rapid heating cannot be obtained sufficiently, while when it exceeds 800Â° C., poor decarburization is easily caused. Preferably, it is any temperature within a range of 700-760Â° C.

Further, a heating rate R2 from the temperature T1 to a soaking temperature T2 is necessary to be not more than 15Â° C./s. When the heating rate R2 exceeds 15Â° C./s, forsterite coating is not formed sufficiently in the finish annealing and the peeling resistance is deteriorated. Moreover, the heating rate R2 is enough to be not more than 15Â° C./s, but if it is extremely low, a long time is taken in the decarburization annealing and becomes disadvantageous in economical reason, so that it is preferable to be not less than 2Â° C./s. More preferably, it is a range of 5-12Â° C./s.

The atmosphere in the decarburization annealing is a wet hydrogen atmosphere from a viewpoint of the decarburization and formation of an oxide layer in the surface layer of the steel sheet. An oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2of the atmosphere is enough to be a range of 0.2-0.6 as long as the decarburization property is ensured. In the invention, however, it is preferable to be a range of 0.20-0.55 in view of providing good coating peeling resistance. More preferably, it is a range of 0.25-0.40.

A coating weight converted to oxygen per one-side surface after the decarburization annealing is preferable to be not more than 0.75 g/m²from the viewpoint that a dense oxide layer is formed to prevent the penetration of nitrogen into steel during the finish annealing, while a lower limit thereof is preferable to be 0.30 g/m²from the viewpoint that that an absolute amount of forsterite coating formed in the finish annealing is ensured to keep the coating peeling resistance. A more preferable coating weight converted to oxygen per one-side surface after the decarburization annealing is a range of 0.35-0.55 g/m².

After the arrival at the soaking temperature T2, it is preferable that decarburization is finished by soaking at the temperature T2 for about 130 seconds. Moreover, the time of such a soaking treatment may be changed for the purpose of adjusting the above coating weight converted to oxygen.

Also, the oxygen potential of the atmosphere in the soaking is desired to be the same degree as in the atmosphere at a temperature of not higher than T2, but may be changed for the purpose of adjusting the coating weight converted to oxygen.

In the invention, it is preferable to perform reduction annealing in a reduction zone having an oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2of not more than 0.10 at a temperature of not lower than T2 but not higher than 900Â° C. for not less than 5 seconds after the soaking treatment in the decarburization annealing from a viewpoint that the surface layer of the oxide film formed in the decarburization annealing is reduced to form silica SiO₂and promote the formation of forsterite coating in the finish annealing. The timing of the reduction annealing is not particularly limited, but is preferable to be a final stage of the decarburization annealing just before the start of cooling. Moreover, the oxygen potential P_H2O/P_H2in the atmosphere of the reduction annealing is preferable to be not more than 0.08.

The steel sheet after the decarburization annealing is then coated on the steel sheet surface with an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO, dried and subjected to finish annealing, whereby the secondary recrystallization texture is developed and forsterite coating is formed. Moreover, the application of the annealing separator to the steel sheet surface is usually a method of applying a slurry, but an electrostatic application having no water content is also effective.

The finish annealing is desirable to be performed at a temperature of not lower than 800Â° C. for causing the secondary recrystallization. In order to complete the secondary recrystallization, it is desirable to keep at a temperature of not lower than 800Â° C. for not less than 20 hours. The keeping temperature suitable for the secondary recrystallization is in a range of 850-950Â° C. In order to form forsterite coating to perform purification treatment, it is preferable to perform heating to about 1200Â° C. after the completion of secondary recrystallization.

The steel sheet after the finish annealing is subjected to planarization annealing for correcting the shape after the annealing separator retained in the steel sheet surface is removed by water cleaning, brushing, pickling or the like, which is effective for reducing the iron loss.

Moreover, when the steel sheets are stacked in use, it is preferable to apply an insulation coating onto the steel sheet surface before or after the planarization annealing in order to improve the iron loss. In order to more reduce the iron loss, the insulation coating is preferable to be a tension-imparting type which imparts tension onto the steel sheet surface. When a method of applying a tension-imparting coating through a binder, or a method wherein an inorganic substance is deposited onto a surface layer of the steel sheet through physical vapor deposition or a chemical vapor deposition and applied thereon is adopted as an application of the insulation coating, the resulting coating has an excellent adhesion property and a significant effect of reducing the iron loss.

In order to further reduce the iron loss, it is preferable to perform magnetic domain refining treatment. As a method of refining magnetic domains can be used a general method wherein linear grooves or strain zones are formed in a final product sheet by roller working or the like or liner heat-strain zones or impact strain zones are introduced by irradiating electron beams, laser, plasma jet or the like and a method wherein grooves are formed on the surface of the cold rolled sheet with the final thickness by etching or the like at steps followed by the cold rolling.

EXAMPLE 1

A slab containing C: 0.05 mass %, Si: 3.2 mass %, Mn: 0.1 mass %, Al: 0.005 mass %, N: 0.0028 mass %, S: 0.0010 mass % and Se: 0.0010 mass % is reheated to 1240Â° C. and hot-rolled to obtain a hot rolled sheet of 2.2 mm in thickness, which is subjected to a hot band annealing at 1040Â° C. for 60 seconds and cold-rolled to obtain a cold rolled coil having a thickness of 0.27 mm.

Then, the cold rolled coil is heated to 840Â° C. under various heating conditions and subjected to decarburization annealing by soaking at 840Â° C. in a wet hydrogen atmosphere of P_H2O/P_H2=0.28 for 130 seconds. In this case, a sample is taken out from the steel sheet after the decarburization annealing to identify a carbon concentration after the decarburization annealing by an infrared absorption method after combustion and a coating weight converted to oxygen per one-side surface after the decarburization annealing by an infrared absorption method after fusion.

Next, the steel sheet after the decarburization annealing is coated on its surface with an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO, dried and then subjected to finish annealing by keeping at 840Â° C. for 30 hours to complete secondary recrystallization.

Thereafter, 10 specimens having a width of 100 mm and a length of 300 mm are cut out from each of longitudinal front end, middle part and tail end of the coil after the finish annealing in a widthwise direction provided that the rolling direction is the longitudinal direction. With respect to these specimens, an iron loss W_17/50is measured at a magnetic flux density of 1.7 T and an excitation frequency of 50 Hz according to JIS C2550. On the other hand, the specimens are wound around various round bars having different diameters in the longitudinal direction to measure a minimum diameter (peeling diameter) generating no peeling of forsterite coating in the surface layer of the steel sheet for evaluation of peeling resistance.

In Table 1 are shown heating conditions in the decarburization annealing, coating weight converted to oxygen per one-side surface after the decarburization annealing, carbon concentration after the decarburization annealing, iron loss W_17/50of the steel sheet after the finish annealing and evaluation results of peeling resistance of forsterite coating. Moreover, the iron loss W_17/50is an average value measured on all specimens taken at the front end, middle part and tail end of the coil, while the peeling resistance is represented by a worst value among the measured values of all specimens. As seen from Table 1, the steel sheets obtained under the heating conditions of decarburization annealing adapted to the invention are excellent in the iron loss property and peeling resistance, while more excellent iron loss property is obtained when the coating weight converted to oxygen is within a preferable range defined in the invention.

TABLE 1Heating conditions of Steel sheet after Properties decarburization annealingdecarburization annealingof product sheetHeating Heating Oxygen potentialCoating weightC concentrationBend andraterateof atmosphere inconverted to oxygenafterpeelingIron lossR1 TemperatureR2 heatingper one-sidedecarburizationpropertyW_17/50No.(Â° C./s)T1 (Â° C.)(Â° C./s)P_H2O/P_H2surface (g/m²)annealing (mass %)(mm)(W/kg)Remarks150720100.270.510.0012201.210Comparative Example250720200.270.520.0025201.192Comparative Example3120650100.270.530.0018201.160Comparative Example4120720100.270.480.0021200.952Invention Example5120780100.270.490.0020200.965Invention Example6120830100.270.560.0024500.986Comparative Example712075010.270.410.0009200.976Invention Example812075050.270.450.0014200.961Invention Example9120750100.270.470.0021200.953Invention Example10120750200.270.380.0038200.979Comparative Example11120750500.270.340.0046200.997Comparative Example12120750100.750.180.0028300.978Invention Example13120750100.450.420.0028300.946Invention Example14120750100.300.530.0021200.951Invention Example15120750100.120.820.0014200.991Invention Example1615071090.450.410.0028300.941Invention Example1715071090.200.720.0019200.962Invention Example1820072050.280.450.0007300.928Invention Example19200720100.280.450.0015300.924Invention Example20200720120.280.460.0020300.931Invention Example21200720300.280.470.0039301.085Comparative Example

EXAMPLE 2

A slab containing C: 0.04 mass %, Si: 3.2 mass %, Mn: 0.08 mass %, Al: 0.0070 mass %, N: 0.0035 mass %, S: 0.0010 mass % and Se: 0.0010 mass % is reheated to 1230Â° C. and hot-rolled to obtain a hot rolled sheet of 2.2 mm in thickness, which is subjected to a hot band annealing at 1040Â° C. for 60 seconds and cold-rolled to obtain a cold rolled coil having a final thickness of 0.23 mm.

Then, the cold rolled coil is heated in a wet hydrogen atmosphere of P_H2O/P_H2=0.29 from 500Â° C. to a temperature T1 (=710Â° C.) at a heating rate of 150Â° C./s and from 710Â° C. to a soaking temperature T2 (=840Â° C.) at 10Â° C./s. Thereafter, it is subjected to decarburization annealing by soaking in a wet hydrogen atmosphere of P_H2O/P_H2=0.30 at 840Â° C. for 100 seconds and further to reduction annealing under a condition that temperature and oxygen potential of atmosphere are variously changed as shown in Table 2.

Next, the steel sheet after the decarburization annealing is coated on its surface with an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO, dried and then subjected to finish annealing by keeping at 850Â° C. for 30 hours to complete secondary recrystallization.

Thereafter, 10 specimens having a width of 100 mm and a length of 300 mm are cut out from each of longitudinal front end, middle part and tail end of the coil after the finish annealing in a widthwise direction provided that the rolling direction is the longitudinal direction. With respect to these specimens, an iron loss W_17/50is measured at a magnetic flux density of 1.7 T and an excitation frequency of 50 Hz according to JIS C2550. On the other hand, the specimens are wound around various round bars having different diameters in the longitudinal direction to measure a minimum diameter (peeling diameter) generating no peeling of forsterite coating in the surface layer of the steel sheet for evaluation of peeling resistance.

In Table 2 are also shown the measured results of peeling resistance and iron loss W_17/50. Moreover, the iron loss W_17/50shown in Table 2 is an average value measured on all specimens taken at the front end, middle part and tail end of the coil, while the peeling resistance is represented by a worst value among the measured values of all specimens. As seen from Table 2, better iron loss property and peeling resistance are obtained by performing the reduction annealing under adequate conditions after the decarburization annealing.

TABLE 2SoakingReduction annealingProperties of temperature after decarburization annealingproduct sheetafterOxygenBend andIron decarburizationTreatingpotential ofpeelinglossannealingtemperatureTreatingatmospherepropertyW_17/50No.T2 (Â° C.)(Â° C./s)time (s)P_H2O/P_H2(mm)(W/kg)Remarks1840â€”0â€”300.964Invention Example284084010.07300.957Invention Example384084030.07300.953Invention Example484084080.07200.948Invention Example584084080.04200.944Invention Example6840840200.04200.939Invention Example7840840400.04300.945Invention Example8840840200.13300.956Invention Example9840870150.08300.942Invention Example10840920150.08300.972Invention Example

EXAMPLE 3

Various slabs having different chemical compositions shown in Table 3 are reheated to a temperature of 1250Â° C. and hot-rolled to obtain hot rolled sheets of 2.2 mm in thickness, which are subjected to a hot band annealing at 1040Â° C. for 60 seconds and cold-rolled to obtain cold rolled coils having a final thickness of 0.27 mm.

Then, the cold rolled coils are heated in a wet hydrogen atmosphere of P_H2O/P_H2=0.27 from 500Â° C. to a temperature T1 (=710Â° C.) at a heating rate of 180Â° C./s and from 710Â° C. to a soaking temperature T2 (=850Â° C.) at 10Â° C./s. Thereafter, they are subjected to decarburization annealing by soaking in a wet hydrogen atmosphere of P_H2O/P_H2=0.28 at 850Â° C. for 120 seconds.

Next, the steel sheets after the decarburization annealing are coated on their surfaces with an annealing separator composed mainly of MgO, dried and then subjected to finish annealing by keeping at 840Â° C. for 30 hours to complete secondary recrystallization.

Thereafter, 10 specimens having a width of 100 mm and a length of 300 mm are cut out from each of longitudinal front end, middle part and tail end of the coil after the finish annealing in a widthwise direction provided that the rolling direction is the longitudinal direction. With respect to these specimens, an iron loss W_17/50is measured at a magnetic flux density of 1.7 T and an excitation frequency of 50 Hz according to JIS C2550 as an average value of all specimens.

In Table 3 are also shown the measured results of the iron loss. As seen from Table 3, grain-oriented electrical steel sheets having an excellent iron loss property are obtained by using a raw steel material having a chemical composition adapted to the invention.

TABLE 3Iron lossChemical composition (mass %)W_17/50No.CSiMnAlNSSeOthersAl/N(W/kg)Remarks10.143.100.080.0080.00400.00100.0010â€”2.001.245Comparative Example20.031.800.090.0070.00400.00100.0010â€”1.751.481Comparative Example30.053.200.950.0050.00250.00200.0010â€”2.001.714Comparative Example40.053.200.080.0040.00400.00100.0020â€”1.001.124Comparative Example50.043.200.080.0200.00400.00150.0015â€”5.001.324Comparative Example60.053.500.080.0090.00800.00150.0020â€”1.131.435Comparative Example70.053.300.080.0060.00400.01000.0015â€”1.501.521Comparative Example80.053.300.080.0050.00200.00200.0090â€”2.501.648Comparative Example90.043.200.090.0060.00400.00300.0030â€”1.500.912Invention Example100.043.200.090.0060.00400.00250.0025Ni: 0.061.500.907Invention Example110.033.200.050.0060.00400.00200.0020B: 0.0007, Cr: 0.031.500.909Invention Example120.023.200.050.0060.00400.00150.0015Sn: 0.05, Nb: 0.002, V: 0.0021.500.906Invention Example130.033.200.110.0070.00400.00200.0020Cu: 0.09, P: 0.05, Mo: 0.011.750.902Invention Example140.043.200.080.0060.00400.00200.0010Sb: 0.007, Cr: 0.05, P: 0.031.500.905Invention Example