Investigations of the early stages of recrystallization in interstitial-free and low-carbon steel sheets

The present thesis investigates recrystallization and related phenomena in interstitial free (IF) and low carbon (LC) microstructures. Emphasis is given mostly on the early stages of recrystallization, i.e. nucleation stage. The investigations are performed with experimental measurements and computer simulations. In all studies, recrystallization is observed with close coupling to the deformation substructure. Crystallographic texture analysis is used as a means to: (a) confirm trends between the simulated and experimental microstructure and (b) interpret the evolution of recrystallization in terms of selective subgrain growth. The goal of this thesis is to obtain insight into recrystallization initiation and evolution in low alloyed cold rolled steel sheets.