Abstract

It is of considerable technological importance to establish how far textures introduced into controlled-rolled steels by finish rolling at low temperatures may affect the fracture strength. The purely textural effect is difficult to isolate in such steels because of anisotropy associated with grain shape, inclusions and pearlite banding. Consequently, an investigation was carried out using molybdenum, a b.c.c. single phase material showing good structural homogeneity, as a model. Texture development was studied using crystallite orientation distribution function analysis to identify a suitable processing route leading to a sharp texture with a suitable distribution of {100} cleavage planes. The behaviour of a sharply textured specimen was analysed by taking fracture specimens from various orientations in the plate. The energy absorbed in impact showed a positive correlation with the density of 100 planes in the crack direction, but the extent of the variation was less than would have been expected had crack propagation been the controlling step in the fracture process.