Effect of precipitate size and dispersion on recrystallization behavior in Ti-added ultra low carbon steels

The effect of coiling temperature on precipitates and solid solution was investigated in P-free and P-added Ti-stabilized ultra low carbon steels. The volume fractions of the fine precipitates smaller than 60 nm were evaluated by using small-angle neutron scattering technique. The solute P was quantified from the lattice parameters obtained from neutron diffraction patterns. In the P-free steels, TiC and Ti₄C₂S₂ with various sizes ranging from 5~60 nm were observed. In addition to these precipitates, FeTiP precipitates of a size exceeding 50 nm were also observed in the P-added steel. The amount of fine precipitates smaller than 10 nm and the concentration of solute P was higher in the samples coiled at low temperature. The recrystallization temperature increases if the coiling temperature decreases in both, P-free and P-added steels. The recrystallization temperature of P-free steels is lower than that of P-added steels. In the P-free steels, the pinning effect of fine precipitates played a key role for the retardation of the recrystallization. In the P-added steels, the retardation of recrystallization is due to both, the pinning effect of fine precipitates and the solute drag effect of P in solid solution.