Hot-rolled steel sheet for electrical steel sheet production and method of producing same

1. A hot-rolled steel sheet for electrical steel sheet production, comprising

a chemical composition containing, in mass %, C: 0.02% to 0.08%, Si: 2.5% to 5.0%, Mn: 0.02% to 1.0%, acid-soluble Al: 0.01% or less, and S: 0.0015% to 0.01%, wherein N is suppressed to less than 0.006%, and the balance is Fe and inevitable impurities, and

a scale layer on a surface, where the surface of the scale layer of the steel sheet has a lightness L* as defined in JIS Z 8781-4: 2013 satisfying 30≤L*≤50, and chromaticities a* and b* as defined in JIS Z 8781-4: 2013 within ranges of −1≤a*≤2 and −5≤b*≤3 respectively, wherein

with one end portion in the longitudinal direction of a hot-rolled coil as a reference, a color difference ΔE ab * as defined in JIS Z 8781-4: 2013 at a central portion and at the opposite end portion of the coil satisfies ΔE ab *≤8 respectively, and

a thickness of the scale layer is in a range of 30 μm to 50 μm.

2. The hot-rolled steel sheet for electrical steel sheet production according to claim 1 , further comprising, in mass %, at least one selected from Ni: 1.5% or less, Cu: 1.0% or less, Cr: 0.5% or less, P: 0.5% or less, Sb: 0.5% or less, Sn: 0.5% or less, Bi: 0.5% or less, Mo: 1.0% or less, Ti: 0.05% or less, Nb: 0.1% or less, V: 0.1% or less, B: 0.0025% or less, Te: 0.01% or less, or Ta: 0.01% or less.

3. A method of producing the hot-rolled steel sheet for electrical steel sheet production according to claim 1 , comprising

heating a slab to a temperature of 1180° C. or higher and 1300° C. or lower, and

subjecting the slab to hot rolling to obtain a steel sheet, the hot rolling comprising first-stage rolling and subsequent second-stage rolling, wherein

the first-stage rolling is performed until a thickness of the steel sheet of 100 mm or less is obtained,

a delivery temperature of the first-stage rolling, which is a temperature of the steel sheet delivered from the first-stage rolling, is 950° C. or higher,

the second-stage rolling is performed until a thickness of the steel sheet of 3.0 mm or less is obtained,

after the first-stage rolling and prior to the second-stage rolling, descaling with high-pressure water is performed, and

for scales on a surface of the steel sheet after the second-stage rolling, with one end portion in the longitudinal direction of a hot-rolled coil as a reference, a difference in thickness between a surface scale at the reference and a surface scale at a central portion of the coil is suppressed to less than 25 μm, and a difference in thickness between the surface scale at the reference and a surface scale at an opposite end portion of the coil is suppressed to less than 25 μm.

4. The method of producing a hot-rolled steel sheet for electrical steel sheet production according to claim 3 , wherein after the heating and prior to the first-stage rolling, primary scales are destroyed by a scale breaker.

5. A method of producing the hot-rolled steel sheet for electrical steel sheet production according to claim 2 , comprising

heating a slab to a temperature of 1180° C. or higher and 1300° C. or lower, and

subjecting the slab to hot rolling to obtain a steel sheet, the hot rolling comprising first-stage rolling and subsequent second-stage rolling, wherein

the first-stage rolling is performed until a thickness of the steel sheet of 100 μm or less is obtained,

a delivery temperature of the first-stage rolling, which is a temperature of the steel sheet delivered from the first-stage rolling, is 950° C. or higher,

the second-stage rolling is performed until a thickness of the steel sheet of 3.0 mm or less is obtained,

after the first-stage rolling and prior to the second-stage rolling, descaling with high-pressure water is performed, and

for scales on a surface of the steel sheet after the second-stage rolling, with one end portion in the longitudinal direction of a hot-rolled coil as a reference, a difference in thickness between a surface scale at the reference and a surface scale at a central portion of the coil is suppressed to less than 25 μm, and a difference in thickness between the surface scale at the reference and a surface scale at an opposite end portion of the coil is suppressed to less than 25 μm.

6. The method of producing a hot-rolled steel sheet for electrical steel sheet production according to claim 5 , wherein after the heating and prior to the first-stage rolling, primary scales are destroyed by a scale breaker.