Structure-sensitive properties of minor hysteresis loops have been compared with Vickers hardness and ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) obtained by Charpy impact test for cold rolled low carbon steel. Minor loops were measured with increasing magnetic field amplitude, step by step, and were analyzed in connection with the rolling reduction. We found that minor-loop coefficients deduced from relations between minor-loop parameters increase with increasing rolling reduction and have a simple relationship with both mechanical properties, Vickers hardness, and DBTT. We also found that these coefficients have a linear relation with coercive force obtained by the major loop. The present analysis method using minor loops is highly effective for nondestructive evaluation of ductile-brittle transition, in terms of the high sensitivity to lattice defects as well as low measurement field.

Low carbon steel specimens cold rolled at ratios of 0-40% have been examined comprehensively by means of magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) method and a physical parameter obtained from a hysteresis loop, and their microstructures were studied by a transmission electron microscope. The behaviors of MBN and coercive force with reduction ratio were discussed in relation to microstructure changes. The MBN energy rises rapidly with cold rolling below 10% reduction, and saturates at higher reduction ratio. The peak in averaged rms voltage exhibited the same behavior as that of the MBN energy, whereas the coercive force and the magnetizing current when the averaged rms showed a peak increased monotonically with increasing reduction ratio. These phenomena are attributed to the combined effects of cell texture and dislocation density.