Study of meniscus behavior and surface properties during casting in a high-frequency magnetic field

Surface quality of continuously cast metals can be improved by imposing a continuous high-frequency magnetic field from the outside of a mold. Newly proposed concepts of “soft contacting solidification” and “slow cooling solidification,” which is tightly related to the mechanism of improving surface quality, were confirmed in model experiments by using molten gallium and tin. The meniscus motion of the molten gallium accompanied by a mold oscillation and magnetic pressure was measured by a laser level sensor. The shape variation of a meniscus and the process of ripple formation in an oscillation cycle were directly visualized by an optical fiberscope camera. Moreover, molten tin was continuously cast and the relationship between the surface quality and the meniscus motion was studied. A mechanical model for predicting the space between the oscillation marks is proposed. The casting process using intermittent highfrequency magnetic field was developed. New functions of this field were investigated regarding the control of initial solidification. It was found that the surface quality of the continuously cast metal can be improved by the intermittent high-frequency magnetic field as well as the continuous high-frequency magnetic field. Formerly Undergraduate Student, Department of Materials Processing Engineering, Nagoya University,     

A mold simulator for continuous casting of steel: Part II. The formation of oscillation marks during the continuous casting of low carbon steel

The restrictions on quality for low carbon continuously cast slab products require that surface defects be kept to a minimum. Currently, the steel industry has developed a wealth of experience on how to apply slabs with oscillation marks to very demanding applications. However, these practices circumvent the problem, rather than solving it. By understanding the formation mechanism of oscillation marks, one can then develop casting practices that can minimize their effect on slab surface quality. The techniques developed in this study allowed a more detailed examination of the mold heat-transfer interactions during continuous casting, such that the variations of heat flux due to irregular solidification near the meniscus could be measured. It is shown that the mechanisms proposed in the literature are not individually sufficient for the formation of an oscillation mark, but that several are necessary and must occur in sequence for an oscillation mark to form. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of oscillation marks that is shown to be in agreement with the trends observed and reported in the literature. Additionally, it is shown that the success of practices used in industry to reduce the severity of oscillation marks can be explained using this proposed hypothesis.     

低碳钢和中碳钢连铸方坯初始凝固的对比研究

以低碳钢和中碳钢为研究对象,围绕不同连铸工艺参数对方坯初始凝固行为的影响,利用CA-FE耦合模型模拟实际连铸过程结晶器内方坯的初始凝固行为,考察拉速和过热度对方坯出结晶器坯壳厚度的影响,对比二者出结晶器横截面枝晶微观形貌.研究表明:过热度和拉速增加均能使出结晶器坯壳厚度下降,而拉速的影响更为显著.不同钢种在相同条件下出结晶器坯壳厚度下降梯度不同.过热度越低柱状晶越致密细小,利于提高连铸坯质量,拉速对柱状晶的影响相对较小.由于出结晶器坯壳安全厚度限制,过热度取15℃,低碳钢拉速不能超过2.2 m·min-1,中碳钢拉速不能超过2.5 m·min-1,据此针对不同钢种设计不同拉速可提高连铸效率.同时,模型结果显示低碳钢出结晶器时刻柱状晶更为发达.      

高速连铸结晶器内凝固传热行为及其均匀性控制

从分析高拉速包晶钢板坯连铸结晶器内凝固传热行为特征入手,首先阐明拉速对结晶器内的界面热阻、凝固坯壳的温度与应力分布的影响规律,研究发现拉速超过1.6 m·min?1时,界面热阻明显增加,拉速由1.4 m·min?1提升至1.6 m·min?1和1.8m·min?1时,出结晶器坯壳厚度相应减少约10%,其发生漏钢的危险不断增加;在此基础上,阐述了结晶器的内腔结构、保护渣、振动与液面控制等控制结晶器内坯壳凝固均匀性的相关技术。要实现高速连铸,首要应考虑结晶器内腔结构的优化设计,使其能更好地迎合凝固坯壳的生长,研制适合包晶钢等凝固特点的专用连铸保护渣至关重要,铸坯鼓肚控制也是保障高拉速液面稳定的关键。      

Improvement of Castability and Surface Quality of Continuously Cast TWIP Slabs by Molten Mold Flux Feeding Technology

An innovative continuous casting process named POCAST (POSCO’s advanced CASting Technology) was developed based on molten mold flux feeding technology to improve both the productivity and the surface quality of cast slabs. In this process, molten mold flux is fed into the casting mold to enhance the thermal insulation of the meniscus and, hence, the lubrication between the solidifying steel shell and the copper mold. Enhancement of both the castability and the surface quality of high-aluminum advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) slabs is one of the most important advantages when the new process has been applied into the commercial continuous casting process. A trial cast of TWIP steel has been carried out using a 10-ton scale pilot caster and 100-ton scale and 250-ton scale commercial casters. The amount of mold flux consumption was more than 0.2 kg/m² in the new process, which is much larger than that in the conventional powder casting. Trial TWIP castings at both the pilot and the plant caster showed stable mold performances such as mold heat transfer. Also, cast slabs showed periodic/sound oscillation marks and little defects. The successful casting of TWIP steel has been attributed to the following characteristics of POCAST: dilution of the reactant by increasing the slag pool depth, enlargement of channel for slag film infiltration at meniscus by elimination of the slag bear, and decrease of apparent viscosity of the mold slag at meniscus by increasing the slag temperature.     

交换钢包过程对IF钢连铸板坯表层洁净度的影响

采用ASPEX扫描电镜中的自动特征分析功能研究了交换钢包过程（取样浇次第4、5炉）对IF钢连铸板坯表层的洁净度的影响,且对比研究了交换钢包过程浇铸铸坯（交接坯）与正常浇铸铸坯（正常坯）的表层洁净度.结果表明:正常坯与交接坯中尺寸大于20μm的表层夹杂物可分为三类:（1）簇群状Al₂O₃（包括气泡+簇群状Al₂O₃）;（2）簇群状TiO_x-Al₂O₃夹杂物;（3）保护渣夹杂物.正常坯表层的大型夹杂物主要为簇群状Al₂O₃,没有检测到保护渣夹杂物.换包开浇后铸坯总氧质量分数从14×10-6增至17×10-6,交接坯表层检测到较多的第2夹杂物,说明钢包开浇后钢水被轻微氧化.此外,钢包开浇后剧烈的液面波动也导致了保护渣的卷入.在当前工艺下,换包对IF钢铸坯表层洁净度的影响长度约为11m.      

钢的软接触电磁连铸技术的研究进展

钢的软接触电磁连铸技术(SoftContactElectromagneticContinuousCasting)是利用高频交变电磁场在结晶器内铸坯初始凝固区施加电磁压力来减少钢液与结晶器壁的接触压力,从而减小结晶器振动对铸坯表面质量的影响,降低拉坯阻力和减弱初始凝固点的传热来提高铸坯表面质量。分析了实现钢的软接触电磁连铸在结晶器结构、材质以及电磁场参数等方面需要解决的问题,并介绍了该技术的最新研究成果:高频调幅磁场及无结晶器振动的电磁连铸技术。     

薄板坯合金钢窄面凹陷的控制实践

鞍钢股份有限公司炼钢总厂四分厂3#板坯连铸机生产过程中,合金钢铸坯窄面经常出现纵向凹陷,影响连铸坯的表面质量,并造成轧材缺陷。分析了连铸板坯窄面纵向凹陷的形成原因,结合生产试验,通过采取优化结晶器足辊冷却水流量、结晶器锥度、结晶器窄边足辊布置及铸机拉速等措施,提高了连铸板坯的表面质量,有效地控制了铸坯窄面的纵向凹陷。     

Mold behavior and its influence on quality in the continuous casting of steel slabs: Part i. Industrial trials,mold temperature measurements,and mathematical modeling

An extensive study has been conducted to elucidate mold behavior and its influence on quality during the continuous casting of slabs. The study combined industrial measurements, mathe matical modeling, and metallographic examination of cast slab samples. The industrial mea surements involved instrumenting an operating slab mold with 114 thermocouples in order to determine the axial mold wall temperature profiles for a wide range of casting conditions. A three-dimensional (3-D) heat-flow model of the mold wall was developed to characterize the heat fluxes in the mold quantitatively from the measured mold temperature data. Furthermore, heat-flow models were developed to examine steel solidification phenomena and mold flux behavior at the meniscus. Slab samples collected during the industrial trials were examined metallographically to evaluate the cast structure and defects. Owing to the length of the study, it is presented in two parts, the first of which describes the experimental techniques employed in the instrumentation of the mold together with the details of the industrial trials and mold temperature measurements. Also, the mathematical modeling technique applied to determine the axial heat-flux profiles from the measured mold temperature data is presented. It is shown that a fully 3-D model of the mold wall is needed to convert the measured temperatures to heat-flux profiles properly. Formerly Graduate Student, Centre for Metallurgical Process Engineering, The University of British Columbia Formerly with Research and Development, Stelco Inc.     

Phenomenological Description of the Surface Morphology and Crack Formation of Continuously Cast Peritectic Steel Slabs

The surface quality of continuously cast material is strongly depending on the initial solidification of the steel. Oscillation marks are formed at the very early stages of the strand shell growing process, thus influencing the microstructure and cracking behaviour of the surface and subsurface region. An industrial study of the oscillation mark morphology and the surface structure of peritectic medium carbon steel slabs was performed. The formation of oscillation marks and their effect on the surface quality was examined by metallographic investigations of slab samples. Although constant casting and oscillation conditions were applied, a variation of oscillation mark geometry along the narrow faces of the slabs was measured. A relation between the depth of the oscillation marks and the thickness of a layer of segregated melt situated inside the bottom of the marks was found. Measuring the distribution and length of surface and subsurface segregated cracks in the vicinity of the marks, existing theories of oscillation mark formation could be confirmed. The austenite grain size was found to increase with increasing oscillation mark depth. There was no clear correlation between the austenite and the δ‐ferrite grain size.     

On the Formation of Interdendritic Internal Cracks During Dendritic Solidification of Continuously Cast Steel Slabs

In this study of solidification during the continuous casting of steel slabs, the effect of the different spray cooling conditions on the interdendritic internal cracks formed between the columnar dendrites has been examined by a metallographic study of the slab samples and by performing a set of mathematical analyses. The metallographic study involved plant trials to measure the slab surface temperature within different secondary spray cooling conditions. Also, macro/microexaminations of the collected samples from plant trials, measurements of dendrite arm spacing, and interdendritic distance between the columnar dendrites, as well as a segment length of interdendritic crack, have been performed. The experimental results show that the morphology of the interdendritic cracks described by the segment width and length fluctuate with the distance from the slab surface based on the secondary spray cooling conditions. A one-dimensional mathematical model of the heat transfer, solidification, structure evolution, interdendritic strain, and elementary interdendritic area (EIA) has been developed. This model takes into account also calculating the width of interdendritic crack. The model predictions are in a good agreement with the measurements. The results pointed out also that this criterion can be considered as the most important tool to measure the inner quality of the continuously cast steel slabs. Therefore, it helps also to define the required mechanism and reduction level of hot working deformation to close these interdendritic internal cracks. The formation mechanism of these cracks during the dendritic solidification of continuously cast steel slabs has been discussed and the available solutions have been proposed.     

A Study for Initial Solidification of Sn-Pb Alloy During Continuous Casting: Part II. Effects of Casting Parameters on Initial Solidification and Shell Surface

The initial shell solidification of liquid steel in the mold has significant influence on both surface and internal quality of the final slab, and it is mainly determined by the high transient high temperature thermodynamics occurring in the mold. This study investigated the effects of casting parameters like casting temperature, mold oscillation frequency, and stroke on the initial solidification of a Sn-Pb alloy through the use of a mold simulator to allow the clear understanding of the inter-relationship between irregular shell solidification, heat transfer, negative strip time (NST), and casting conditions. Results suggested that the shell surface oscillation marks (OMs) are strongly depending upon the fluctuations of meniscus responding temperatures and heat flux. An abrupt sudden fluctuation of high frequency temperature and heat flux at the meniscus during the NST would deteriorate the shell surface and leads to deep OMs. The fluctuations of responding temperature and heat flux are determined by the NST, meniscus solidification, and oil infiltration, which in turn are influenced by casting conditions, like casting temperature, oscillation frequency, stroke, etc.     

Analysis of Non-uniform Mechanical Behavior for a Continuous Casting Mold Based on Heat Flux from Inverse Problem

The distortion of mold plates plays an important role in the formation of surface cracks on continuously cast steel products.To investigate the non-uniform distortion of a mold,a full-scale stress model of the mold was de-veloped.An inverse algorithm was applied to calculate the heat flux using the temperatures measured by the thermo-couples buried inside the mold plates.Based on this,a full-scale,finite-element stress model,including four copper plates,a nickel layer and water slots in different depths,was built to determine the complex mechanical behavior of the continuous casting mold used to produce steel slabs.The heat flux calculated by the inverse algorithm was applied to the stress model to analyze the non-uniform mechanical behavior.The results showed that the stress and distortion distributions of the four copper plates were not symmetrical,which reflected the non-uniform distortion behaviors of copper plates,water slots,nickel layer and the corner region of the mold.The gap between the mold and the slab was increased because of the corner distortion,which was very important for the heat transfer of initial solidifying shell,and it may be a major reason for the slow cooling of the slab corner.     

A new mechanism of hook formation during continuous casting of ultra-low-carbon steel slabs

The initial stages of solidification near the meniscus during continuous casting of steel slabs involve many complex inter-related transient phenomena, which cause periodic oscillation marks (OMs), subsurface hooks, and related surface defects. This article presents a detailed mechanism for the formation of curved hooks and their associated OMs, based on a careful analysis of numerous specially etched samples from ultra-low-carbon steel slabs combined with previous measurements, observations, and theoretical modeling results. It is demonstrated that hooks form by solidification and dendritic growth at the liquid meniscus during the negative strip time. Oscillation marks form when molten steel overflows over the curved hook and solidifies by nucleation of undercooled liquid. The mechanism has been justified by its explanation of several plant observations, including the variability of hook and OM characteristics under different casting conditions, and the relationships with mold powder consumption and negative/positive strip times.     

Modeling of the solidification process in a continuous casting installation for steel slabs

The development of a computational simulation system for modeling the solidification process in a continuous casting facility for steel slabs is discussed. The system couples a module for solving the direct problem (the calculation of temperatures in the steel strand) with an inverse analysis module that was developed for evaluating the steel/mold heat fluxes from the information provided by thermocouples installed in the continuous casting mold copper plates. In order to cope with the non-uniqueness of the inverse analysis, a priori information on the solution, based on the consideration of the problem physics, is incorporated. The stability of the system predictions are analyzed and the influence of the first trial used to start the evaluation procedure is discussed. An industrial case is analyzed.     

A Unified Mechanism for the Formation of Oscillation Marks

Oscillation marks (OMs) are regular, transverse indentations formed on the surface of continuously cast (CC) steel products. OMs are widely considered defects because these are associated with segregation and transverse cracking. A variety of mechanisms for their formation has been proposed (e.g., overflow, folding, and meniscus freezing), whereas different mark types have also been described (e.g., folded, hooks, and depressions). The current work uses numerical modeling to formulate a unified theory for the onset of OMs. The initial formation mechanism is demonstrated to be caused by fluctuations in the metal and slag flow near the meniscus, which in turn causes thermal fluctuations and successive thickening and thinning of the shell, matching the thermal fluctuations observed experimentally in a mold simulator. This multiphysics modeling of the transient shell growth and explicit prediction of OMs morphology was possible for the first time through a model for heat transfer, fluid flow, and solidification coupled with mold oscillation, including the slag phase. Strategies for reducing OMs in the industrial practice fit with the proposed mechanism. Furthermore, the model provides quantitative results regarding the influence of slag infiltration on shell solidification and OM morphology. Control of the precise moment when infiltration occurs during the cycle could lead to enhanced mold powder consumption and decreased OM depth, thereby reducing the probability for transverse cracking and related casting problems.     

不锈钢(304HC)浇铸过程保护渣成分变化及其对渣性能影响

通过不锈钢(304HC)连铸过程中对结晶器内液渣现场取样、分析,探索了结晶器内渣-钢界面化学反应及钢中杂夹的吸收造成渣成分的变化,及其对熔渣性能的影响.研究表明,渣中Al2O3、Cr2O3含量有所增长,F减少,碱度下降,并造成保护渣使用性能发生变化,粘度有波动、凝固温度升高及结晶率下降.研究结果为更合理地设计不锈钢连铸保护渣配方,进一步降低不锈钢铸坯表面缺陷提供了依据.     

特厚板连铸保护渣系列规划

 针对特厚板连铸工艺的特点,分析了传统的中厚板连铸保护渣与特厚板连铸保护渣的作用特征差异。根据不同钢种在结晶器内的凝固特性,对新钢特厚板连铸保护渣进行了系列规划,分为高碳钢连铸保护渣、包晶钢连铸保护渣、中碳低合金钢连铸保护渣3大类。在此基础上,提出了保护渣熔化温度、黏度、转折温度、结晶比例的控制范围。生产实践表明,设计的保护渣浇铸过程结晶器内状况良好,渣面无结团、结块现象,液渣层厚度合适,保护渣消耗量正常,铸坯表面质量优良,连铸生产工艺顺行。     

中厚板表面微裂纹成因及影响因素研究

对重钢连铸板坯轧制中厚板出现的表面微裂纹进行取样,经低倍检验发现,微裂纹有3种类型;与之对应的连铸板坯酸洗后发现,微裂纹也有3种类型,采用镀层结晶器铜板前以网状裂纹为主,尔后以横裂纹为主;对裂纹量最多的网状裂纹进行高倍和能谱检验,发现网状裂纹主要是铜裂纹.分析产生裂纹炉次的对应工艺,找出其主要影响因素是结晶器铜板、结晶器保护渣、二次冷却制度、钢中的w(N)等,针对性地采取预防措施,使中厚板表面微裂纹大幅度减少.