Ferritic stainless steel sheet having good workability and manufacturing method thereof

1. A method of manufacturing a ferritic stainless steel sheet having good workability with less anisotropy, which comprises the steps of:

providing a ferritic stainless steel consisting essentially of 0.03 mass % or less of C, 0.03 mass % or less of N, 2.0 mass % or less of Si, 2.0 mass % or less of Mn, 0.07–0.6 mass % of Ni, 9–35 mass % of Cr, 0.15–0.80 mass % of Nb and the balance being Fe except inevitable impurities;

precipitation-heating said stainless steel at a temperature (T) in a range of 450–750° C. for a time period (t) not longer than 20 hours with the provision that a value λ defined by a formula of λ=(T+273)·(20+log t)/1000, whereby temperature is in degree centigrade and time is measured by hours, is controlled within a range of 13–19 so as to distribute Nb-containing precipitates of 0.5 μm or less in particle size at a ratio of 0.4 mass % or more; and

finish-annealing said stainless steel at a temperature in a range of 900–1100° C. for a time period not longer than 1 minute.

2. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the stainless steel further contains at least one of Ti up to about 0.5 mass Mo up to about 3.0 mass %, Cu up to about 2.0 mass % and Al up to about 6.0 mass %.

3. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein fine precipitates are distributed at a total ratio of 0.4–1.2 mass % in a steel matrix by the precipitation-heating.