Developments in the production of grain-oriented electrical steel

The quality and production technology of grain-oriented electrical steel have been improved over the past 70 years. Firstly, through the improvement of {1 1 0} 〈0 0 1〉 alignment, development of thinner-gauge material, and establishment of magnetic domain refining techniques, magnetic properties of the material have been improved dramatically. Secondly, many mechanisms have been proposed for the reason why Goss texture develops selectively during the final annealing stage. Thirdly, to reduce manufacturing costs, many new techniques have been developed. The most advanced in commercial realization is the application of low-temperature slab-reheating techniques. Despite these achievements, the mechanisms of texture selection are not yet clear in all their details. Further improvement of magnetic properties and the application of compact production process for grain-oriented electrical steels in commercial production are needed to be realized.