Production of silicon-iron sheets having cubic texture

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF PRODUCING SILICON-IRON SHEET STOCK CHARACTERIZED BY A CRYSTAL ORIENTATION IN WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE GRAINS HAVE THEIR LATTICES ORIENTED SUCH THAT THE CUBE FACES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE SHEET SURFACE AND THE CUBE EDGES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED IN THE ROLLING DIRECTIONS AND IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR THERETO, WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING AN ELONGATED STRIP OF HOT FORMED SILICONIRON STOCK OF INTERMEDIATE GAUGE CONSISTING OF ABOUT 2.5% TO 3.5% SILICON, ABOUT .06% TO .12% MANGANESE, NOT MORE THAN ABOUT .025% SULFUR, NOT MORE THAN ABOUT .04% CARBON, NOT MORE THAN ABOUT .015% TOTAL OXIDES, AND SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ALUMINUM, THE BALANCE BEING IRON AND INCIDENTAL IMPURITIES, SUBJECTING SAID STOCK TO A FIRST COLD ROLLING REDUCTION IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS LENGTH OF ABOUT 40% TO 85%, THEN CUTTING APART THE STRIP INTO SHEET LENGTHS AND COLD ROLLING SAID SHEET STOCK 40% TO 70% IN A DIRECTION 90* TO THE FIRST ROLLING DIRECTION IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ANNEAL BETWEEN THE TWO COLD ROLLING REDUCTIONS, HEAT TREATING SAID CROSS-ROLLED STOCK AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1300* TO 1800*F. FOR PRIMARY RECRYSTALLIZATION AND TO A SURFACE ENERGY SECONDARY RECRYSTALLIZATION AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE ON THE ORDER OF 2200*F.