Effect of Electrical Resistance Heating on Recrystallization of Cold-Rolled Low-Carbon Steel

The “electron wind effect” has long been cited as a potential catalyst of solid-state transformations in metals, particularly when high current densities are involved. However, the literature exploring similar effects at lower current densities, such as those occurring during Gleeble thermomechanical simulation, remains scarce. The present work compares recrystallization activity in cold-rolled low-carbon steel during heat treatment by conventional furnace versus direct resistance heating (Gleeble). Multiple levels of cold work, annealing durations, and soak temperatures were examined, allowing for an in-depth comparison of recrystallization rates and activation energies between samples subjected to identical time–temperature profiles in the furnace and Gleeble. In addition to the expected increase in recrystallization behavior with the increases in temperature and cold-reduction levels, the use of the Gleeble system as the heating method resulted in faster initial microstructural transformation than a conventional furnace. The variability in recrystallized fractions persisted until the microstructures had saturated to their nearly fully recrystallized levels, at which point the microhardness and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) revealed convergence to equivalent behavior irrespective of the heating method. Analysis of the recrystallization kinetics by fitting to a JMAK relationship reflected the increased transformation activity during Gleeble treatment, with the value of the kinetic exponent also indicating greater grain growth activity at higher temperature.