Many studies propose thermomechanical routes to improve HSLA (high strength low alloy) steels by microstructural modification but ignore the study of occurrence of CSL boundaries. The occurrence of these special boundaries is influenced by thermomechanical treatment in which the modification of misorientation profile is related with the increase of Σ3 and Σ11 boundaries and inhibition of Σ5 Σ7 and Σ9 ones. The formation of Σ3 boundaries, beneficial to improve strength, is highly stimulated by this treatment in which deformation plays an important role in the development of CSL boundaries.
HSLA steel; thermomechanical treatment; acicular ferrite; coincident site lattice
