Method of manufacturing an oriented silicon steel sheet having improved magnetic flux density

A method of manufacturing an oriented silicon steel sheet having improved magnetic characteristics in which a hot-rolled steel sheet of a silicon steel having a composition containing about 0.01 to 0.15% by weight of acid-soluble Al and about 0.005 to 0.04% by weight of Sb is processed by cold-rolling until its thickness is reduced to a desired final thickness comprising the steps of:

• softening-annealing said steel sheet before final cold rolling;
• successively quenching said steel sheet at a cooling speed of about 15 to 500.degree. C./s to a temperature of about 500.degree. C. or lower;
• applying to said steel sheet a strain ranging from about 0.005 to 3.0% while maintaining said sheet at a temperature in the range from about the temperature reached by quenching to about 200.degree. C.;
• controlling carbide precipitation at an effective cooling speed of about 2.degree. C./S for lower to precipitate sparsely arranged carbides ranging in size from about 300 to 500.ANG. in grains in said steel sheet by cooling said steel sheet during said straining or after a period of time of about 60 to 180 seconds in which said steel sheet is maintained in essentially the same temperature range after said straining;
• thereafter performing final cold rolling with a rolling reduction of about 80 to 95%;
• and
• annealing said steel sheet for primary recrystallization and for decarburization, applying an annealing separation agent and effecting secondary-recrystallization annealing and purification-annealing.