A novel approach of improving the antibacterial rate by tailoring matrix texture in 2.0 wt.%Cu-bearing Fe-17Cr alloy

Abstract A novel approach of improving the antibacterial rate by tailoring matrix texture was investigated in 2.0 wt%Cu-bearing Fe-17Cr alloy through different rolling processes. Demonstrated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), the main orientation relationship between the copper precipitation and matrix is Kurdjumov–Sachs (K–S) relationship of {111}Cu//{110}Fe, Cu// Fe. Because of being elongated along Matrix directions, the rod-shaped copper precipitation in the matrix grain with {110} crystal plane is parallel to the rolling plane and has a maximum area exposed to the outside environment. The crystallographic orientations in the hot-rolled sample are equally distributed and there is no very focused and intense orientation. However, there are very strong components on the γ-fiber ({111}⊥ND texture) and Goss texture in the cold-rolled sample. Thus, the effective exposed area of copper precipitation in the cold-rolled sample is larger than that in the hot-rolled sample. Because the strong γ-fiber is beneficial to improve the corrosion resistance property, the cold-rolled sample has a better corrosion resistance and the copper ions are more easily released from the cold-rolled sample compared with the hot-rolled sample. Hence, the γ-fiber ({111}⊥ND texture) and Goss texture can improve the antibacterial rate obviously.