Development of Hot Band Annealing Texture in Austenitic Stainless Steel

The microstructural and textural analysis of the hot band reveals that the surface grains are fully 
recrystallised and possess the orientation elements of the shear texture, distributed along // RD and 30°ND fibres, while the grains, in the central layer, are partially recrystallised and their texture is composed of orientation elements of recrystallisation texture ( // RD) and of copper type texture ( 60°ND), with {001} and {011} as the major components, respectively. The other interesting feature of the hot band microstructure is the formation of recovery twins in the grains of {011} . The short time annealing of the hot band leads to the formation of annealing twins in addition to the growth of the surface grains and to the complete recrystallisation of the grains in the central layers. Many physical processes such as the growth of the recovery twins and of the grain boundary nucleated grains contribute to the development of final annealing textures of the annealed 
hot band, which are like the textures present in the surface and the central layers of the hot band.


INTRODUCTION
In the last few decades, the development of annealing (i.e. recrystallisation) textures in F.C.C. metals and alloys has been the subject of numerous investigations (Burgers, 1949;Beck, 1954;Burgers and Tiedema, 1957;Dillamore and Roberts, 1965;Beck and Hu, 1966;Grewen, 1971;Guttman, 1973;Hutchinson, 1974) and many International Conferences on texture of materials (Grewen and Wassermann, 1969;Karp et al., 1971;Penelle, 1973;Davies et al., 1975;Gottstein and Liicke, 1978;Nagashima, 1981;Brakman, Jongenburger and Mittemeiger, 1984;Kallend and Gottstein, 1988; Bunge, 1991;1993). Most of these studies, depending upon stacking fault energy (SFE) and degree of cold reduction of materials, indicate that the origin of annealing textures can be attributed to the theory of oriented nucleation (Burgers and Louwerse, 1931;Burgers and Tiedema, 1953;Verbraak, 1958;Dillamore and Katoh, 1974b) or to that of oriented growth (Beck and Hu, 1966;Lticke, 1974). Another mechanism, producing generally new orientations, is the recrystallisation twinning which involves nucleation and then growth events and thus leads to the formation of annealing twins in the recrystallised microstructure of materials with low SFE. Most recently, the very incipient stage of this nucleation event has been recognised as recovery twins (Huber and Hatherly, 1979; 1988) and evidences are getting accumulated for the creation of such twins through recovery process in the regions of brass-type shear bands and copper-type microbands of heavily deformed materials. On the other hand, Verbraak (1981) has suggested that the formation of recovery twins is a low SFE equivalent of polygonisation in high SFE materials and it requires the annihilation of excess dislocations within the deformation twins by partial dislocations piled up in between twins and crossing the twin boundaries during heating and thus creates the recovery twins. There are, however, no reported evidence of recovery twins in hot band (HB) materials such as austenitic stainless steel in which deformation, dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallisation play a complex role during hot rolling. Furthermore, the effect of short time annealing on the development of annealing texture in hot band is also clearly not known.
Knowledge of orientations of recovery twins and of matrix texture components present near the surface and the central layers should contribute to the understanding of the annealing texture development in hot band. It is now clear that the textures evolved during hot rolling of most F.C.C. metals and alloys can be understood on the basis that the surface and sub-surface regions are subjected to a redundant shear-strain deformation whereas the interior layers undergo a plain-strain deformation. Accordingly, the hot rolled strip acquires components of shear texture or rolling texture and above all, the temperature of deformation at different layers determines the state and the orientation of grains (i.e. recovered, recrystallised or a mixture of deformation and recrystallisation). The most recent investigation (Singh, Ramaswamy and Suryanaryana, 1991) on the texture evolution in an austenitic stainless steel hot band indicates that the surface texture is composed of the orientation elements of shear texture. These elements are mainly distributed along two limited tubes of preferred orientations. The fibre of the first orientation tube has its axis <110>//RD and stretches from 001 <110> to an orientation near 112}<110> while that of the second tube is inclined 30 from ND towards RD (i.e. <110> 30 ND fibre) and runs from an orientation near 112]<110> to the orientation near 111 }<112>. On the contrary, a duplex texture consisting of orientation components of retained rolling texture (copper-type) and recrystallisation texture ({001 }<100>) is present at the central layer of the hot band. The copper-type texture is usually described by <110> 60ND fibre extending from 112 }<111> through 123 }<634> to 011 }<112> with 112 }<111> or 123 }<634> as a major component. The aim of the present paper is to describe an investigation on the nature of the processes involved in the development of annealing texture in the hot band of an austenitic stainless steel during short time annealing. The rolling, transverse and normal directions of the strip are denoted by RD, TD and ND respectively.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Starting material was a hot band (HB) of commercially produced austenitic stainless steel (i.e. AISI 304) of nominal composition (by wt%): 19.25% Cr, 8.40% Ni, 0.05% C, 1.24% Mn, 0.48% Si, 0.02% P "and 0.02% S. According to supplier's information, the 2.95 mm thick HB strip was finished at about 1173K and coiled at about 1023K. Part of the material used for investigation was in the form of annealed hot band (AHB). This AHB strip was produced by solution annealing the HB at 1353K for 5 minutes and then quenching into water. Both HB and AHB strips were pickled in pickling solution (by vol.%) of 10% HNO3 + 2% HF + 88% water at a temperature 323K for a period of 5 minutes for the removal of any oxides and scales on the surfaces.
Microstructural examinations were performed by optical microscopy on specimens of both HB and AHB mechanically polished and electrolytically etched in saturated oxalic acid solution at 10 volts for 2 minutes at sections (S 1, S 0) cut perpendicular to the transverse direction containing RD and ND (i.e. longitudinal sections). Here, S 1 and S 0 denote the surface and the mid thickness of the specimen, respectively. The hardness of the specimens was determined for S 1 and S 0 levels at the sections cut parallel to the rolling plane using a 5 kg load on a standard Vickers hardness tester.
Transmission electron metallography (TEM) was carried out on thin foils of HB and AHB at S 0 level in which the plane of the foil was parallel to the rolling plane of the strip. After chemically thinning the strip to 0.1 mm in a boiling solution (vol.%) of 45% water, 30% HNO3, 15% Hcl and 10% HF and punching to 3 mm dia. discs, the thin foils were produced using a TENUPOL electrolytic twin jet polisher operated at 40V and 0.14A with an electrolyte (Vol%) consisting of 5% perchloric acid in acetic acid. The thin foils were examined in a JEOL 4000E microscope at an accelerating voltage of 300KV. Local orientations of recrystallised grains of HB and AHB were determined by electron diffraction in order to investigate the origin and formation of annealing textures. X-ray texture measurements were performed for both HB and AHB materials at the sections (S 1 and S 0 levels) parallel to the rolling plane on an automatic texture goniometer fitted with SIEMENS D500 diffractometer, using M0 radiation. For each ground and etched specimen (20 mmx 14 mm), the texture was determined by measuring four incomplete pole-figures of the planes 111 }, 200 }, 220 and 113 }, using the Schulz back reflection technique (Schulz, 1949). For each measurement, the diffracted intensity was recorded continuously every 5 along concentric circles in the angular range from 0 to 75 in steps of 5 and subjected to background, geometrical and defocussing corrections using a random specimen of pressed and sintered austenitic stainless steel powders. The three dimensional orientation distribution functions (ODF) was calculated from the data of four incomplete pole-figures following the series expansion method (Bunge, 1982) and using the pseudo-normalisation technique (Kern and Bergmann, 1978). The series was extended upto 1 22 using even terms only. The texture index, J, which determines the mean square deviation of the ODF from random distribution, was also determined in each case.
Due to cubic crystal and orthorhombic sample symmetry, a general orientation possesses 96 symmetrical equivalent positions in Euler angular space. The Euler space (0 --< 1, , }2 --< 90) used in the present investigation contained each orientation three times each in three basic ranges. The measured ODF f(g) was presented in the form of isointensity contour lines corresponding to multiples of random orientation density in section 1, or constant (0 , 5 , 10 90) through this Euler angle space.
Although the ODFs which will be discussed contain ghost errors (Matthies, 1979;Lticke et al., 1981), they are sufficiently small so as not to affect the interpretation of the principal results. The obtained ODFs exhibit maxima of orientations. While exact orientations of maxima are listed in the tables, in the text approximate orientations are used (indicated by --) if the indices are clearly simpler.

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Hot Band (HB)

Microstructure
The as-received hot band was fully austenitic because the X-ray diffractogram did not show any phase other than austenite reflections (Singh, 1989). The optical micrograph of the HB longitudinal section near the surface (S 1) is shown in Figure l(a). This figure indicates the presence of equiaxed grains mostly nucleated at the pre-existing grain boundaries as well as of some within the volume of banded regions. Some of the recrystallised grains are in elongated shape. On the other hand, a heavily deformed (i.e. elongated) regions along with a few recrystall.ised grains are evident in the optical micrograph of the central layers (S 0) of the HB [Figure l(b)]. The preferentially etched dark bands in the above micrographs appear to be thin sheet like bands of heavily deformed austenite grains. The hardness values measured on the rolling plane sections near the surface and at the central layers were about 235 HV5 and 269 HV5 respectively whereas the average grain sizes determined on the same sections were about 7 pm. The TEM microstructural features observed near the central level of HB are given in Figure 2. The presence of very fine recovery twins and recovered regions is clearly revealed in the bright field image [ Figure 2(a)]. The selected area diffraction pattern (SADP) associated with the twin-matrix region is of {011}<112> type and given in Figure 2(b) while Figure 2(c) illustrates the indexing of the SADP. The twins varied in length from 1.6 pm to 3.6 pm and were less than 0.015 /.tm thick. Only one set of the twins was observed. It is also apparant from Figure 2(a) that the region in which the twins formed is clearly distinguishable from the regions (upper and lower parts) containing structureless features. These structureless regions are associated with {011 }<100> type diffraction pattern. Furthermore, strain free grains have nucleated at the grain boundary.

Texture
The ODF of crystallites near the surface (S 1) of the HB in constant sections is shown in Figure 3. This ODF exhibits maxima for orientations which are given in Table 1 along with (--{111}<123>) in the decreasing order of orientation density. The most concise though not complete representation of the components of the surface texture in 45 section is presented in Figure 4. It is clearly evident from this figure that there are two limited tubes of HB S 3 -00 2.00 4.00 -6.00 9 O0 Figure 4 Section O2 45 of the ODF for surface (S 1) level of the hot band. preferred orientations in an orientation space. One of the orientation tube has its <110> fibre axis parallel to RD (<ll0>//RD) and stretches from an orientation {001}<110> to 112 }<110> with the maximum at 112 }<110>. Further this tube extends towards 111 }<110>. The second orientation tube has it <110> fibre axis inclined about 30 from ND towards RD (<110> 30ND) and runs from 111 }<112> to 112 }<110>. The orientation densities along the skeleton line of the above two tubes have been shown in Figures 5 and 6, respectively. It becomes clearly evident from Figure 5 that the (001) (118)   (112)  texture profile along 110}//RD fibre contains a strong peak near {112}<110> along with two concealed peaks near {118}<110> and {332}<110> and also a minor peak at {001 }<110>. On the other hand, Figure 6 indicates that the density value f(g) along <110> 30ND fibre increases strongly in the orientations 112}<110>. The texture index J determined near the surface was 3.0. The ODF of crystallites in constant sections and the maxima for orientations at the central layer are presented in Figure 7 and Table 2 respectively. The most interesting feature of this ODF is the presence of components of recrystallisation as well as the copper-type rolling textures. The cube orientation {001 }<100> and the RD rotated cubes in between the cube position (1 0) and the Goss position ( 0 , $ 45) are the elements of recrystallisation texture with the cube orientation as  axis inclined about 60 from ND towards RD (<110> 60ND). The distribution of orientation densities along <110> 60ND fibre has been shown in Figure 9. This figure also indicates clearly that the density is maximum at {011 }<112> and minimum at 112}<111>. The texture index calculated at the central layer was 3.7.   Figure l 1 a)]. Furthermore, clustering of twins is also apparant. The SADP taken from the clustered twin regions was of {011}<112> type. On the other hand, Figure 11 (b) illustrates the growth of a recovery twin into a full grown annealing twin and the associated SADP was, again, of {011}<112> type. In almost every case, the twins were parallel to the rolling direction trace in the rolling plane foils examined. 45 section is given in Figure 13. It is clearly evident from Figures 12 and 13 that the surface texture components are distributed, like HB surface textures, along the two limited orientation tubes whose fibre axes are <110> [! RD and <110> 30ND. The maximum density is observed again at the orientation {7 7 12} <110> and all other orientations, observed in the HB surface texture, are also present at the surface layer of the AHB. The distributions of orientation densities along these orientation fibres are also shown in Figures 5 and 6 respectively. The texture index J determined near the surface layer was 1.9. In comparison with the surface texture components of the HB, a strong scattering of all prominent orientations along , and directions has been observed. Furthermore, upon annealing the HB, the texture index as well as the orientation densities of all the texture components of <110>//RD and <110> 30ND fibres have decreased considerably (Figures 5 and 6).
The ODF of crystallites for the central layer (S 0) of the AHB is presented in Figure 14 in constant b sections and the maxima for the orientations observed in this ODF are given in Table 2. Like the HB centre texture, here again, the texture at the centre of the AHB is comprised of the orientation elements of the recrystallisation texture and the copper-type rolling texture. is still persisting in the AHB but in slightly reduced strength (Figure" 14). The coppertype texture is characterised by the presence of orientations {011 }<112>, 123 }<634> and 112}<111>. The first one is major and the other two are minor elements. The observed orientation 139}<956> is nearer to the orientation 123}<634>. Like the scattering of the orientations observed in the surface texture of the AHB, these orientation elements at the centre also exhibit a scattering in h, and directions. Upon annealing the HB, the strength of all these copper type texture components has decreased but still the components are distributed along the limited orientations tube with its fibre axis <110> 60ND inclined about 60 from ND towards RD. Figure

Evolution of Hot Band Texture
During hot rolling, the surface and the sub-surface layers undergo a shear strain deformation which leads to high dislocating density, whereas the central layers are subjected to plain strain deformation similar to cold rolling. Depending upon the conditions of rolling (i.e. shear strain or plain strain) one obtains shear or rolling textures in deformed material, respectively. In case of austenitic stainless steel, continuously cast slabs are hot rolled to strip in single phase (/) region. This hot rolling is accomplished in more number of deformation steps and the total degree of reduction is very high. The last few steps determine, to a great extent, the microstructural and textural states of the grains through the thickness of the strip. These states of the grains also depend upon the temperature of deformation and the final strip thickness. Furthermore, because of water spraying and contact with the rolls, the surface layers ex.perience a comparatively lower temperature and thus at the surface, dynamic recovery is lowered and the stored deformation energy is higher than in the central layers. In the last few passes, these conditions lead to dynamic recrystallisation in the surface layers and dynamic recovery and/or dynamic recrystallisation in the central layers.
In view of the above physical processes (i.e. deformation, dynamic recovery or dynamic recrystallisation) occurring during hot rolling, it can be inferred that the grains of the surface and the sub-surface layers of the HB are dynamically fully recrystallised as evident from the presence of equiaxed grains mostly originating from the pre-existing grain boundaries [ Figure 1 (a)]. Further, the appearance of the surface texture components distributed along two limited orientation tubes represented by <110>//RD and <110> 30ND fibres (Figure 4) with a maxima at 112}<110> reveals that these texture components are formed due to the shear strain caused by the frictional force between the strip surface and the working rolls and they are essentially the elements of shear texture. In fact, the orientations 001 }<110>, 112 <110> and 11 11 8 <4 4 11 > are the ones predicted theoretically as stable orientations by Dillamore and Katoh (1974a) under the action of imposed shear. Additionally, the orientation 111 }<110> becomes stable by permitting shear parallel to the rolling plane along transverse direction (Dillamore and Katoh, 1974b). Dillamore and Katoh (1974b) has further shown, in an elegant fashion, that these stable texture components and the spread range between them (i.e. <ll0>//RD and <110> 30ND fibres) are best suited for the formation of recrystallised nuclei by subgrain growth and also grain boundary nucleation, because these orientations belong to the regions of uniform orientation where slip rotations usually converge. Hence, all these microstructural and textural evidences indicate that some processes of simultaneous sheafing and dynamic recrystallisation by subgrain growth and grain boundary nucleation are occurring near the surface and the sub-surface regions as the austenitic stainless steel is hot rolled.
On the other hand, for the central layer of the HB, the microstructural feature [Figure l(b)] reveals the presence of equiaxed grains in some bands, while the ODF evidence (Figure 7) indicates the appearance of cube orientation {001 }<100> and the other RD rotated cubes in between the cube position and the Goss position. These orientations are elements of recrystallisation texture and are divergent orientations (Dillamore and Katoh, 1974b). As discussed by Singh, Ramaswamy and Suryanarayana (1991) the origin of cube orientation and the RD rotated cubes at the centre of the HB has been attributed to a process of dynamic recrystallisation controlled by oriented nucleation (Dillamore and Katoh, 1974b) of the orientations of divergent zones at the transition bands developed in the grains of 112}<111> orientation and by oriented growth (Vimich et al., 1978;Liicke, 1984) of the cube grains at the expense of 112}<111> and {123}<634>. The ODF result (Figure 9), indicating a very low strength of 112}<111> and an intermediate strength of--. 123 }<634> in comparison with the very high strength of 011 }<112>, confLrms that it is the Cu-component which decreases first in favour of cube orientation on recrystallisation and these cube grains grow at the expense of 123}<634> because of a good 40<111> orientation relationship. Further, the grains of Bs-orientation possess a poor 40<111> relationship with cube grains, they are consumed at a much lower rate. On the contrary, the formation of recovery twins (Figure 2) having orientation 011 }<112> in the grains of Bs-component {011 }<112> shows that the Bs-oriented grains are dynamically recovered through the operation of processes pertaining to the growth accident (Carpenter and Tamura, 1926) and to the growth stimulation (Burgers and May, 1948) theories. Since, the HB strip was finished at lower temperature (1173K) so sufficient time was not available for the complete growth of cube grains at the expense of the remaining grains of deformation texture and thus a partially recrystallised structure, consisting of some grains of recrystallised cube orientation and the others of {011 }<112> in recovered state, is produced at the central layers of the HB.

Development of Annealing Texture
In the past, many studies on annealing texture development have dealt upon the mechanism of formation, the morphology and the orientation of the first formed nuclei and grains. In many cases, these nuclei and grains are not significant to the f'mal annealing texture but may be significant in other cases. Thus any successful theory of annealing texture development must take into account not only the final texture but also the microstructure of the annealed strip. The most striking feature of the microstructure [ Figure 10(a)] of the present investigation is the presence of a considerable volume of twinned grains and of the migration of the pre-existing boundaries at surface layers of the AHB. Further, the evidences, such as the increase in the grain size (i.e. from about 7/ma to 20 m) and the substantial softening (i.e. drop from about 235 HV5 and 174 HVs), indicate the occurrence of the normal grain growth process in the surface layers as the HB is annealed for short time. The present ODF results (Figures 12 and 13) of the surface texture of the AHB show the presence of the shear texture components distributed along the two limited orientation tubes (i.e. <110>//RD and <110> 30ND fibres) with 112}<110> as the major element of the texture. Furthermore, the decrease in the strength of the texture from a value (J 3.0) obtained near the surface of the HB to a value (J 1.9) determined near the surface of the AHB, reveals that the surface grains, after annealing, are much more randomised with respect to that of the HB. The other interesting feature of these ODF results are the presence of isotropic scattering of the orientations of the two limited fibres along the Euler axes 1, and and the reduction in the orientation densities of the fibres (<110>/[RD and <110> 30ND) as given in Figures 5 and 6. No new orientations having a twin relationship with the matrix orientations have appeared on the surface of the AHB.
The relationship between the twinned grains, their orientation and the f'mal annealing texture obtained at the surface layer, after the given annealing treatment, is not clear. The orientation relationship between a twin (of first order) and its origin is a 180 rotation about the twinning plane normal. In F.C.C. crystals, the twinning plane is a 111 plane. Since the majority of the surface grains of the HB have 112}<110> orientation, it is most likely that this orientation undergoes twinning operation during the annealing treatment. Further, one of the first order twin orientations of 112 }<110> is the same 112 }<110>. Thus it may be concluded that the twined grains, at the surface and the sub-surface layers, have also 112 <110> orientation. The origin of 112 }<110> oriented twinned grains may be attributed to the formation of recovery twins in the microband regions of the hot deformation structure having 112 }<110> orientation and to their growth during subsequent annealing (Huber and Hatherly, 1980;Wakefield and Hatherly, 1983). It is also possible that some recrystallised grains of--112}<110> orientation, mostly nucleated at the grain boundaries, grow by the migration of the boundaries and undergo twinning operation according to the theory of growth accident (Carpenter and Tamura, 1926) combined with that of growth stimulation (Burgers and May, 1948), because the probability of growth accident is very high when the orientation of the matrix is nearer to the twin of the growing grains. The similar phenomenon, as happening in the case of--112}<110> orientation, is also prevailing with the twinned grains of 111 <110> orientation, while the twins of the 001 <110> oriented grains have different orientations and have not been observed in the surface texture.
Hence the microstructural evidences such as the annealing twins, the enlarged grains and the migration of the pre-existing grain boundaries as well as the textural evidences suggest that the some surface grains grow by the migration of the grain boundaries and twin to the orientations, which are same as the recrystallised matrix orientations such as 112 }<110> and 111 }<110>, during the induced growth process as per the growth accident and the growth stimulation theories.
On the other hand, the most attractive features of the microstructure at the central layers of the AHB are the presence of twins, recrystallised grains and the migrated grain boundaries [ Figure 10 i.e. the increased grain size (20/m) and the extensive softening (decrease from 269 HV5 to 200 HVs) in the central layer of the AHB, denote that the grains have been completely recrystallised. The ODF result ( Figure 14) indicates the presence of orientation elements of recrystallised texture distributed along <100>//RD with a maximum in density at {001 }<100> as well as of copper-type texture distributed along <110> 60ND fibre with {011}<112> as a major component and {123}<634> and 112 }<111> as minor components. The other essential features of this ODF are the isotropic scattering of orientations observed along the Euler axes 1, #) and and the reduction in the orientation density of <110> 60ND fibre, particularly in that of Bscomponent {011 }<112> (Figure 9). The given annealing treatment has also randomised the texture present at the centre of the HB. This randomisation is substantiated by the fact that the texture strength (J 3.7) of the HB has decreased to a value (J 2.7), after annealing the HB. Further, the appearance of the orientations such as {011 }<111> and {011 }<411> is most interesting. Dillamore and Katoh (1974b)  {011}<112> along <ll0>//ND axis at the centre of the HB. The densities of the recrystallised components of <100>//RD fibre of the AHB (Figure 8) remain more or less the same as those obtained near the centre of the HB. None of twin orientations of the cube texture {001 }<100> have been detected in the present ODF results of the AHB. From the above mentioned microstructural and textural features, it can be inferred that the origin of the twinned grains are associated with the formation and the growth of the recovery twins which mostly form in the microband regions of the hot deformed structure (Huber and Hathedy, 1980;Wakefield and Hatherly, 1983) and then grow during the annealing treatment. It is interesting to note that all the three i.e. recovery twins, annealing twins and the matrix regions have the same orientation i.e. {011 }<112>. Furthermore, the migration of the pre-existing grain boundaries as well as the appearance of |011 }<111> and {011 }<411> orientations, at the central layers of the AHB, further concludes that the nuclei of convergent orientations such as {011 }<111>, {011 }<411> and 011 }<112> etc. form at the grain boundaries within the spread range of coppertype texture particularly of {011 }<112> component and then grow by the migration of the boundaries. Some of these recrystallised nuclei such as {011}<112> undergo twinning operation as per the growth accident (Carpenter and Tamura, 1926) and the growth stimulation (Burgers and May, 1948) theories, as one of the first order twins of {011 }<112> orientation is of the same type i.e. {011 }<112> Thus it can be construed that the given annealing treatment has led to the complete recrystallisation of the grains of the central layers of the HB.

CONCLUSIONS ii)
iii) iv) The surface grains of the commercially produced austenitic stainless steel hot band are completely recrystallised, whereas some grains are recrystallised and the others are in the recovered state, in the central layers. The surface grains of the hot band possess the orientation elements of the shear texture distributed along two limited orientation tubes (i.e. <110>//RD and <110> 30ND fibres) with {112}<110> as the major component and these texture components are formed, during hot rolling, by the simultaneous action of the shear force and the process of dynamic recrystallisation by subgrain growth and grain boundary nucleation. The texture, in the central layer of the hot band, is composed of orientation elements of the recrystallisation texture distributed along <100> [[ RD fibre and those of the copper-type texture, along <110> 60ND fibre with {001 }<100> and {011 }<112> as major components respectively. The origin of the cube orientation and the other RD rotated orientations has been attributed to the oriented nucleation of the divergent zone orientations in the transition bands developed in the grains of 112 }<111> and also to the oriented growth in the matrix grains of 112 }<111> and {123}<634>, while the grains having {011}<112> are recovered through the formation of the recovery twins. The short time annealing of the hot band has led the surface and the sub-surface grains to grow by migration of the pre-existing grain-boundaries and has also caused a complete recrystallisation to the grains of central layers. A considerable amount of annealing twins has also been formed, both in the surface and the central layers v) of the hot band, by the growth of the recovery twins as well as by the growth of the grains mostly nucleated at the grain boundaries as per the growth accident and the growth stimulation theories. Like the hot band, the surface texture of the annealed hot band is consisted of grains having the orientation elements of the shear texture distributed along the <110>//RD and <110> 30ND fibres with 112 }<110> as the major component, while the texture, in the central layers, is composed of the elements of recrystallisation texture (i.e. cube {001 }<100> and <100>/[RD rotated cubes) and those of copper-type texttLre (i.e. <110> 60ND) with the major component as {011 }<112>. The orientation of the twinned grains, in the surface and the central layers of the annealed hot band, are mostly 112 }<110> and 011 }<112>, respectively. The grain boundary nuclei, formed as a result of the short time annealing, had led to the appearance of the orientations {011}<111> and {011 }<411> in the central layers of the annealed hot band.