Patent Description:
Since a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet is used as an iron core material of an electrical device such as a transformer, in order to improve energy conversion efficiency thereof by reducing power loss of the electrical device, it is necessary to provide a steel sheet having excellent iron loss of the iron core material and a high occupying ratio when being stacked and spiral-wound.

The grain-oriented electrical steel sheet refers to a functional material having a texture (referred to as a "GOSS texture") of which a secondary-recrystallized grain is oriented with an azimuth {<NUM>}<<NUM>> in a rolling direction through a hot rolling process, a cold rolling process, and an annealing process.

As a method for lowering the iron loss of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet, a magnetic domain refining method is known. In other words, it is to reduce the size of a large magnetic domain of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet by scratching or applying an energy impact to the magnetic domain. In this case, when the magnetic domain is magnetized and the direction thereof is changed, energy consumption may be reduced compared to when the size of the magnetic domain is large. As the magnetic domain refining method, there are permanent magnetic domain refining, in which magnetic characteristics are improved even after a heat treatment, and the effect is maintained, and a temporary domain refining, which is not.

The permanent magnetic domain refining method, which shows the effect of improving the iron loss even after a stress relief heat treatment above the heat treatment temperature at which the recovery occurs, may be divided into an etching method, a roll method, and a laser method. Since it is difficult to control a groove shape because the grooves are formed on the surface of the steel sheet by a selective electrochemical reaction in a solution, it is difficult to uniformly secure the iron loss characteristics of the final product in the width direction. In addition, an acid solution used as a solvent has a disadvantage that it is not environmentally friendly.

The method of refining the permanent magnetic domain using a roll is a technology of magnetic domain miniaturization partially generating recrystallized particles under the groove by forming and then annealing a groove having a constant width and depth on the surface of the plate by processing a protrusion shape on the roll to be pressed by the roll or the plate. The roll method is disadvantageous in stability in machine processing, reliability to obtain stable iron loss depending on the thickness, and process complexity, and deterioration of the iron loss and the magnetic flux density characteristics immediately after the groove formation (before the stress relaxation annealing).

The permanent magnetic domain miniaturizing method by the laser uses a method of irradiating a high power laser to the surface part of the electrical steel plate and forming a groove accompanying fusion of a supporting part by the laser irradiation. However, with this permanent magnetic domain refinement method, it is also difficult to refine the magnetic domain to the minimum size.

In the case of the temporary domain refinement, the laser is not irradiated with higher intensity than a certain level because research is being performed in a direction of not applying the coating once more after applying the laser in the coated state. This is because it is difficult to properly exert the tension effect due to the damage of the coating if the laser is applied over a certain level.

In the case of the permanent magnetic domain refining, the groove is dug to widen the free charge area that may receive static magnetism, so the deepest groove depth is required. Of course, side effects such as a deterioration of the magnetic flux density also occur due to the deeper groove depth. Therefore, in order to reduce the deterioration of the magnetic flux density, it is managed with an appropriate groove depth.

<CIT> discloses an oriented electrical steel sheet comprising a groove existing on the surface of the electrical steel sheet and a forsterite layer formed on a part or all of the surface of the electrical steel sheet; wherein a weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/Fe<NUM>SiO<NUM> of an oxide layer on the surface of the steel sheet formed in a primary recrystallization annealing process is <NUM> to <NUM>.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet and a manufacturing method thereof.

In detail, an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet in which magnetism is improved by controlling a weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy to properly form an island after primary recrystallization annealing, and a manufacturing method thereof.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention is defined in independent claim <NUM>.

A manufacturing method of a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention is defined in independent claim <NUM>.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, after the primary recrystallization annealing, by controlling the weight ratio of the SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy to appropriately form the island, the magnetism may be improved.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another element, component, region, layer, or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section described below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and "comprising", when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups.

It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "above" another element, it can be directly on or above the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, there are no intervening elements therebetween.

If not defined differently, all the terminologies including the technical terminologies and scientific terminologies used herein have meanings that are the same as ones that those skilled in the art generally understand. The terms defined in dictionaries should be construed as having meanings corresponding to the related prior art documents and those stated herein, and are not to be construed as being idealized or official, if not so defined.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so as to be easily practiced by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

<FIG> shows a schematic view of a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet <NUM> that is refined with a magnetic domain according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in <FIG>, the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a groove <NUM> of a line shape formed in a direction crossing a rolled direction (an RD direction) on one surface or both surfaces of the electrical steel sheet.

Hereinafter, each step is described in detail.

First, a cold-rolled plate is manufactured. In an embodiment of the present invention, after manufacturing the cold-rolled plate, as a characteristic of the magnetic domain refining method, the cold-rolled plate used in the field of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet may be used without limitation as a cold-rolled plate to be subjected to the magnetic domain refining. Particularly, the effect of the present invention is expressed regardless of the alloy composition of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet. Accordingly, the detailed description for the alloy composition of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet is omitted. As an example, the cold-rolled plate may include, as wt%, C: <NUM> % or less, Si: <NUM> to <NUM> %, Mn: <NUM> to <NUM> %, Nb+V+Ti: <NUM> % or less, Cr+Sn: <NUM> % or less, Al <NUM> % or less, P+S: <NUM> % or less, and a total amount of a rare earth and other impurities is <NUM> % or less, and the remainder Fe.

For the cold-rolled plate manufacturing method, a cold-rolled plate manufacturing method used in the field of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet may be used without limitation and the detailed description is omitted.

Next, a groove is formed on the cold-rolled plate.

In the forming of the groove, two to ten grooves may be formed intermittently in the rolled vertical direction. <FIG> shows an example that four grooves are formed intermittently in the rolled vertical direction. However, is not limited thereto, and it is also possible to continuously form the groove.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the length direction (the RD direction of <FIG>, the X direction of <FIG>) of the groove <NUM> and the rolled direction (the RD direction) may form an angle of <NUM> to <NUM>°. When the groove <NUM> is formed at the above-described angle, it may contribute to improving the iron loss of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet.

The width W of the groove may be <NUM> to <NUM>. If the width of groove <NUM> is smaller or larger than this, it may not be possible to obtain an appropriate magnetic domain refining effect.

Also, a depth H of the groove may be <NUM> or less. If the depth H of the groove is too deep, the structural characteristic of the steel sheet <NUM> may be greatly changed due to the strong laser irradiation, or a large amount of a heel-up and spatter may be formed, thereby deteriorating the magnetism. Therefore, the depth of groove <NUM> may be controlled within the above-described range. In detail, the depth of the groove may be <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the step of forming the groove, a laser or plasma may be irradiated to the cold-rolled plate to form the groove.

When using a laser, the laser output is <NUM> kW or more, the laser scanning speed is <NUM>/s or more, and the laser scanning distance may be <NUM> or more.

By using an appropriate output, scanning speed, and scanning distance, the re-solidification layer may be properly formed under the groove. This leads to the content of the components in the surface layer after the primary recrystallization annealing, and ultimately helps to improve the iron loss. More specifically, the laser output may be <NUM> to <NUM> kW, the laser scanning speed may be <NUM> to <NUM>/s, and the laser scanning distance may be <NUM> to <NUM>.

A laser oscillation method may be used without limitation. That is, continuous oscillation or a pulsed mode may be used. In this way, the laser is irradiated so that the surface beam absorption rate may be more than fusion heat of the steel sheet, and the groove <NUM> represented in <FIG> and <FIG> is formed. The X direction in <FIG> represents the length direction of the groove <NUM>.

In this way, when using the laser or the plasma, the re-solidification layer is formed under the groove by the heat emitted from the laser or the plasma. The re-solidification layer is distinguished by the difference in the overall structure and the grain size of the electrical steel sheet during manufacture. The thickness of the re-solidification layer is formed to be <NUM> or less. If the thickness of the re-solidification layer is too thick, it may affect the weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy of the surface layer part of the cold-rolled plate to be described later, so that the magnetism may be deteriorated. In detail, the thickness of the re-solidification layer may be <NUM> to <NUM>.

After the step of forming the groove, a step of removing the spatter or heel-up formed on the cold-rolled plate surface may be further included.

Next, the cold-rolled plate is annealed through primary recrystallization.

Since the step of the primary recrystallization annealing is widely known in the field of grain-oriented electrical steel sheets, the detailed description thereof is omitted. The primary recrystallization annealing process may include decarburization, or decarburization and nitridation, and the annealing may be performed in a humid atmosphere for decarburization, or decarburization and nitridation. The soaking temperature at the stage of the primary recrystallization annealing may be <NUM> to <NUM>. Also, the dew point temperature may be <NUM> to <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the present invention, by the control of the weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy of the surface layer part of the cold-rolled plate, the iron loss may be improved. In detail, the weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy of the surface layer part of the cold-rolled plate may be <NUM> to <NUM>. If it is out of the above range, a large number of islands are generated in the lower part of the groove after the secondary recrystallization annealing, which may adversely affect the magnetism.

The surface layer part means the thickness to <NUM> to <NUM> from the steel plate surface.

The weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy may be measured by an FT-IR method.

Next, an annealing separator is applied, and the secondary recrystallization annealing is performed. Since the annealing separator is widely known, a detailed description is omitted. As an example, an annealing separator having MgO as a main component may be used.

The purpose of the secondary recrystallization annealing is forming {<NUM>}<<NUM>> texture by the secondary recrystallization, providing insulation by forming a metal oxide (vitreous) film by the reaction of the oxide layer formed during primary recrystallization annealing and MgO, and removal of impurities that harm the magnetic characteristics. As the method of secondary recrystallization annealing, in the heating section before the secondary recrystallization occurs, a mixed gas of nitrogen and hydrogen is maintained to protect a nitride as a particle growth suppressor, so that the secondary recrystallization may be developed well, and after the secondary recrystallization is completed, in the soaking step, a <NUM> % hydrogen atmosphere is maintained for a long time to remove the impurities.

The secondary recrystallization annealing may be performed in the soaking temperature of <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the secondary recrystallization annealing process, the MgO component in the annealing separator may react with the oxide layer formed on the surface of the steel plate to form a metal oxide layer (a forsterite layer) on the surface of the steel plate and the groove. In <FIG>, the metal oxide layer <NUM> is represented schematically. In an embodiment of the present invention, since the groove is formed before the secondary recrystallization annealing, the metal oxide layer <NUM> may be formed on the surface of the groove as well as the steel plate.

In an embodiment of the present invention, after the primary recrystallization, by appropriately controlling the weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy of the surface layer part, MgO in the annealing separator penetrates or passes through the inside of the steel plate, thereby forming the island <NUM> under the metal oxide layer <NUM>. This island <NUM> includes the metal oxide. More specifically, the forsterite is included.

In <FIG>, the island <NUM> is represented schematically. As shown in <FIG>, the island <NUM> may be formed while separating from the metal oxide layer <NUM>.

By properly forming the island <NUM> discontinuously, it may contribute to improving the magnetism. <FIG> shows an example in which three islands <NUM> are formed in the lower part of the groove. That is, the density is three per groove. The island <NUM> has a density of <NUM> to <NUM> per groove. More specifically, it may be <NUM> to <NUM> pieces.

The density of the islands positioned under the groove is less than <NUM>/µm<NUM>.

In this case, a standard means the density of the islands per groove for the area within <NUM> under the groove in the cross-section (a TD plane) including the rolled direction (the RD direction) and the thickness direction (the ND direction) of the steel sheet.

Among the islands <NUM> positioned under the groove <NUM>, the number of islands with sphericity (a short axis/a long axis) of <NUM> to <NUM> is <NUM> % or more. At this time, the standard is the cross-section (the TD surface) including the steel sheet rolled direction (the RD direction) and the thickness direction (the ND direction). In addition, the island <NUM> positioned below the surface where the groove <NUM> is not formed is excluded from the above-mentioned distribution calculation. In other words, the islands with sphericity (a short axis/a long axis) of <NUM> or less among the islands <NUM> positioned under the groove <NUM> is less than <NUM> %. More specifically, the islands with sphericity (a short axis/a long axis) <NUM> to <NUM> among the islands <NUM> positioned under the groove <NUM> is <NUM> to <NUM> %. More specifically, the islands with sphericity (a short axis/a long axis) <NUM> to <NUM> among the islands <NUM> positioned under the groove <NUM> is <NUM> to <NUM> %.

After the secondary recrystallization annealing, forming an insulating coating layer on the metal oxide layer may be further included.

A method of forming the insulating coating layer may be used without particular limitation, and, for example, the insulating coating layer may be formed by applying an insulating coating solution containing a phosphate. It is preferable to use a coating solution including colloidal silica and a metal phosphate as the insulating coating solution. At this time, the metal phosphate may be Al phosphate, Mg phosphate, or a combination thereof, and the content of Al, Mg, or a combination thereof relative to the weight of the insulating coating solution may be <NUM> wt% or more.

The grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the groove <NUM> positioned at the surface of the electrical steel sheet <NUM>, the metal oxide layer <NUM> positioned on the groove <NUM>, and the island <NUM> positioned under the groove.

The island <NUM> has a density of <NUM> to <NUM> per groove. More specifically, it may be <NUM> to <NUM> pieces. If the density per groove exceeds <NUM>, the magnetism deteriorates.

Among the islands <NUM> positioned under the groove, the number of islands with sphericity (a short axis/a long axis) of <NUM> to <NUM> among the islands <NUM> positioned under the groove <NUM> is more than <NUM> %. By properly forming the island <NUM>, the magnetism may be improved. More specifically, the islands with sphericity (a short axis/long axis) <NUM> to <NUM> among the islands <NUM> positioned under the groove <NUM> is <NUM> to <NUM> %. More specifically, the islands with sphericity (a short axis/long axis) <NUM> to <NUM> among the islands <NUM> positioned under the groove <NUM> is <NUM> to <NUM> %.

Hereinafter, the present invention is described in more detail through an embodiment. However, these embodiments are merely for illustrating the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

A cold-rolled plate with a thickness of <NUM> was prepared. This cold-rolled plate was irradiated with a continuous wave laser of A <NUM> W Gaussian mode at a scanning speed of <NUM>/s and a scanning distance of <NUM> to form a groove at an angle of <NUM>° with the RD direction. After that, the primary recrystallization annealing was carried out, and the secondary recrystallization was performed after applying a MgO annealing separator. After that, an insulating coating layer was formed.

After the primary recrystallization annealing, the weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy on the surface part was measured and is shown in Table <NUM>, and the island density at the lower part of the groove was measured and is shown in Table <NUM>. In addition, the iron loss (W17/<NUM>) was measured and is shown in Table <NUM> below.

As shown in Table <NUM>, when the weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy is appropriately controlled, an appropriate number of the islands are formed, and it may be confirmed that the iron loss is excellent. On the other hand, in the comparative example in which the weight ratio of SiO<NUM>/FexSiOy is not properly controlled, it may be confirmed that a large amount of the islands are produced so that the magnetism is relatively poor.

Also, in the embodiments <NUM> to <NUM>, it was confirmed that the number of the islands having sphericity of <NUM> to <NUM> among the islands positioned in the lower part of the groove is <NUM> % or more, respectively, and the density of the islands positioned in the lower part of the groove is <NUM> or less.

On the other hand, in the comparative example, it was confirmed that the number of the islands with sphericity of <NUM> to <NUM> among the islands positioned under the groove is less than <NUM> %, and the density of the islands positioned under the groove exceeds <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet (<NUM>) comprising:
a groove is (<NUM>) positioned in a surface of an electrical steel sheet surface in a direction crossing a rolled direction;
a metal oxide layer is (<NUM>) positioned on the groove; and
a discontinuously distributed metal oxide-based island is (<NUM>) positioned under the groove,
characterised in that the density of islands positioned under the groove is <NUM>-<NUM> per groove, wherein the density of the islands positioned under the groove is <NUM> pieces/µm<NUM> or less.