Study of the Effect of Process Parameters in Steel Production on the Content of Corrosion-Active Nonmetallic Inclusions in Corrosion-Resistant Pipes

The main reason for the accelerated local corrosion of tubes is contamination of the steel by corrosion-active nonmetallic inclusions (CANI), which determine the metallurgical properties of tube steel in terms of their corrosion resistance. Studies have shown that there are two main types of corrosion-active nonmetallic inclusions: CANI₁ — inclusions based on calcium aluminates; CANI₂ — complex inclusions that contain calcium sulfide. In order to master to production of tubes of steel 20-PKS at the Volga Pipe Plant (VTZ), a study was made of the effect of the parameters of out-of-furnace treatments on the contamination of steel by CANI. 1. The mechanisms and main sources of formation of CANI in tube steels made by the VTZ were determined. The main reasons for the formation of CANI₁ in furnace slag containing thermodynamically active CaO are mixing of the metallic and slag phases during the argon blow and the simultaneous introduction of additions to correct the chemical composition of the steel. Inclusions of the CANI₂ type may be formed by deoxidation operations carried out with suboptimal proportions of added aluminum and calcium (lime). 2. The following measures are recommended to ensure that steel 20-PKS made by the VTZ is clean with respect to both types of CANI: • optimize the composition of the ladle slag (increase the average content of Al₂O₃, increase the average content of SiO₂ as much as possible, and in any case decrease the average concentration of CaO); • keep the mass ratio of added CaO to added Al within the range 1.5–2; • continue the argon blow done after addition of the last batch of ferroalloys for at least 15–20 min; • ensure that the intensity of the blow is at least 0.5–1.5 m³/min. 3. Vacuum-degassing steel in the ladle after treatment on a ladle-furnace unit makes it possible to distribute the CANI more uniformly over the volume of the steel. __________ Translated from Metallurg, No. 7, pp. 38–42, July, 2005.     

双蓄热式钢包烘烤器的数值模拟及分析

以北兴特钢的高炉煤气双蓄热式钢包烘烤器为背景,采用ANSYS数值模拟预测烘烤情况,分析双蓄热式钢包烘烤器优点,并得出入口射流角度20＆#176;左右最佳。     

钢包粘渣的机理研究

通过对粘渣物、钢包渣、工艺因素、保温剂和钢包残样等的分析,指出钢包粘渣是冶炼钢种、钢包热状态和包衬耐火材料共同作用的结果.高Al2O3的渣冷凝后析出高熔点物质、小修后钢包热状态差以及渣钢渗入耐材是粘渣的主要原因.     

Modern trends in the development of ladle metallurgy and the problem of nonmetallic inclusions in steel

The main trends in the development of the ladle treatment of steel have been analyzed. The most complex problem is shown to be the formation of nonmetallic inclusions having a certain type and a low concentration. The main parameters of the ladle treatment of steel that control the type and amount of nonmentallic inclusions in ready products are analyzed using the data of industrial heats, laboratory experiments, and physicochemical simulation and computation. The principles of control of steel purity in nonmetallic inclusions are formulated, and the main trends in the development of the concepts of nonmetallic inclusions are determined.     

Mathematical simulation of fluid dynamics during steel draining operations from a ladle

Fluid flow dynamics during ladle drainage operations of steel under isothermal and nonisothermal conditions has been studied using the turbulence shear stress transport k-ε model (SST k-ω) and the multiphase volume of fluid (VOF) model. At high bath levels, the angular velocity of the melt, close to the ladle nozzle, is small rotating anticlockwise and intense vertical-recirculating flows are developed in most of the liquid volume due to descending steel streams along the ladle vertical wall. These streams ascend further downstream driven by buoyancy forces. At low bath levels, the melt, which is close to the nozzle, rotates clockwise with higher velocities whose magnitudes are higher for shorter ladle standstill times. These velocities are responsible for the formation and development of a vortex on the bath free surface, which entrains slag into the nozzle by shear-stress mechanisms at the metal-slag interface. The critical bath level or bath height for this phenomenon is 0.35 m (in this particular ladle design) for a ladle standstill time of 15 minutes and decreases with longer ladle standstill times. At these steps, the vertical-recirculating flows are substituted by complex horizontal-rotating flows in most of the liquid volume. Under isothermal conditions, the critical bath level for vortex formation on the melt free surface is 0.20 m, which agrees very well with that determined with a 1/3 scale water model of 0.073 m. It is concluded that buoyancy forces, originated by thermal gradients, as the ladle cools, are responsible for increasing the critical bath level for vortex formation. Understanding vortex mechanisms will be useful to design simple and efficient devices to break down the vortex flow during steel draining even at very low metal residues in the ladle.     

Increasing the corrosion resistance of low-alloy and carbon steels for automobile construction by optimizing the metallurgical technology

It is shown that the corrosion resistance of automobile sheet can be improved by ensuring that steels of this type have a low content of corrosion-active nonmetallic inclusions (CANI). The main mechanisms responsible for the formation of CANI in automobile sheet have been established, and recommendations have been developed to reduce their concentration in this product • optimize the deoxidation processes that are used by ensuring that the proportions of the additions made to the steel are consistent with the composition of the ladle slag and that certain key temperature-time parameters of these processes are maintained • control the composition of the ladle slag to prevent the formation of solid phases in the slag and their transfer to the metal; certain conditions must also be observed in the argon blow and the introduction of the addtions. Use of the above recommendations to make automobile sheet and tube steels cleaner with respect to their content of CANI and thus help optimize out-of-furnace treatments at metallurgical and pipe plants will make it possible to improve the corrosion resistance of metal products used in automotive manufacturing. __________ Translated from Metallurg, No. 2, pp. 45–48, February, 2006.     

Effect of the CaO-Al2O3-Based Top Slag on the Cleanliness of Stainless Steel During Secondary Metallurgy

The ladle treatment of a 18 pct Cr-9 pct Ni stainless steel, with desulfurization as its main purpose, was simulated on a laboratory scale. The influence of the top slag chemistry on the steel cleanliness was evaluated. A higher steel cleanliness was obtained with an optimized lime-alumina-based slag than with a lime-fluorspar-based slag. The inclusions were found to be mainly in the form of oxysulfide; the alumina content in the inclusions first increased and subsequently showed a slow drop, while the sulfide content decreased during the treatment. The equilibrium between steel and inclusions was found to be more easily reached than that between slag and steel. A slag–steel kinetic model was used to predict the steel chemistry evolution during the treatment. Furthermore, a slag–steel–inclusions interaction kinetic model was developed to calculate the change of alumina content in the inclusions during the ladle treatment. The sulfide content of inclusions was also calculated and compared with the measured values.     

钢包数量计算模型

为实现炼钢厂生产组织优化,提出科学合理的钢包周转数量计算模型,以B炼钢厂钢包为研究对象,解析钢包运行过程和运行时间,分析不同炉外精炼处理工艺的钢包周转周期;运用甘特图分别模拟出1台连铸机连浇和2台连铸机连浇的钢包周转甘特图,针对浇次重叠时间大于、介于和小于2台连铸机钢包周转周期情况进行分析,提出不同重叠时间条件下的钢包数量计算模型和周转率计算模型。研究表明:优化钢包周转周期,可使2台连铸机的钢包周转总数减少2个;减少2台连铸机的浇次重叠时间同样可以减少钢包周转数量。     

Motions of alloying additions in the CAS steelmaking operations

Water model studies in a pilot scale ladle (D = 1.12 m andL = 0.93 m) were carried out to investigate the subsurface motion of both buoyant and sinking additions during the CAS (com-position adjustment by sealed argon bubbling systems) alloy addition procedure in steelmaking. This technique involves placing a refractory baffle around a rising gas/liquid plume within a stirred ladle of steel. Alloy additions are then made by projecting them into the slag-free region of steel within the baffled region. It was found that such particles while moving through the upwelling two-phase plume region can experience a significant reduction in drag forces, causing buoyant particles to penetrate more deeply than anticipated for a homogeneous fluid. Therefore, considering reduced drag on particles penetrating the upwelling gas liquid plume region, predictions were made for the trajectories of spherical-shaped particles using Newton’s law of motion. Predictions were in very reasonable agreement with those measured. Incorporating the velocity fields in industrial size vessels already reported by the present authors, trajectories of spherical-shaped additions (diameter ∼ 80 mm) in a 150-ton ladle during CAS operations were then predicted. The industrial implications of such trajectories, together with the alloy’s dissolution and dispersion behavior, were also analyzed. Finally, advantages of the CAS alloy addition procedure over conventional methods, in terms of the recovery rates of buoyant additions, are discussed.     

Extending the life of the tundish and lining of the intermediate ladle in a six-strand continuous bar-casting machine

Continuous steel-bar casting on a multistrand machine in superlong series is limited by the working-layer wear of the intermediate ladle’s lining within the slag band and the region of jet incidence. The lining life may be significantly increased by using high-strength concrete tundishes of special geometric shape, taking account of the specific ladle and the casting conditions. A fundamentally new metal-intake design for the casting of superlong series at multistrand continuous bar-casting machines is investigated. In the converter shop at OAO Enakievskii Metallurgicheskii Zavod, a casting series of maximum length 64 melts proves possible. This corresponds to the casting of 9300 t of steel from a single intermediate ladle. For optimal organizational and technological conditions, increase in this characteristic by a factor of 1.5–1.6 may be expected.     

渣对超低碳钢钢水氧含量影响的分析

讨论了钢包渣、中间包渣对钢水中夹杂物的吸附和钢水的二次氧化作用的影响、OB处理对钢包渣的影响和保护浇铸对钢水的影响。研究表明,RH处理过程中,OB使渣的氧化性提高是造成钢水二次氧化的主要原因。因此,RH精炼时应尽量减少OB处理。     

炼钢厂钢包红包出钢率的影响因素仿真简

 钢包红包出钢率的提高对优化钢包热状态、降低转炉出钢温度以及保证铸机恒拉速浇注都有重要意义。首先分析了炼钢厂钢包周转过程,然后建立了钢包周转过程的仿真模型,运行仿真模型并分析了空包时间、热修时间和修包包龄等因素对红包出钢率的影响,特别研究了钢包周转率与红包出钢率的关系。仿真结果表明：红包出钢率随空包时间增加而降低;日产45炉典型钢种时,随着热修时间增加,红包出钢率由94%减少到45%;修包包龄越高,红包出钢率增加越明显;同时,随着红包出钢率提高,钢包周转率在一定程度上也有所提高。仿真结果对炼钢厂提高红包出钢率和优化能源消耗具有重要指导意义。     

Alloying steel with lump ferrochromium in the ladle

Results are presented from trial heats of low-alloy steel that were made with the addition of different amounts of lump ferrochromium to the ladle during tapping. The amounts added were sufficient to give the steel a final chromium content within the range from 1.1 to 2.3%. __________ Translated from Metallurg, No. 1, pp. 51–52, January, 2007.     

钢包水口絮流分析

通过对钢包浇钢时水口絮流物的残样进行分析,查清了水口絮流物的主要成分是铁和六铝酸钙。研究分析了六铝酸钙的来源,主要是钢包在使用过程中钢包渣与包衬耐火材料发生反应的产物,这些反应产物粘结在钢包内衬。随着冶炼周期的增加,钢包内的六铝酸钙积累到一定程度后脱落到钢水中引起钢包水口絮流。提出了强化反吹倒渣制度可减少钢包水口絮流。     

Impact of slag–refractory lining reactions on the formation of inclusions in steel

Abstract

The present study was carried out to investigate the impact of slag– refractory lining reactions on the formation of inclusions during ladle treatment of steel. The experiments were conducted on an industrial scale in the ladle at Uddeholm Tooling AB in Hagfors, Sweden. The inclusion chemistry and population during ladle treatment were studied along with the composition of the ladle glaze, taken from the ladle lining. The inclusions in the steel were classified into four groups according to the Swedish standard SS 111116. SEM/EDS analyses were carried out to identify the phases present in both the inclusions and the ladle glaze. The number of inclusions in the steel before deoxidation was found to increase with the ladle age, i.e. the number of times the ladle had been in use. A similar increase was also found after vacuum degassing and before casting. A great portion of inclusions before casting was found to be supplied by ladle glaze. This observation was further confirmed and explained by thermodynamic analysis. The present results show that ladle glaze is a major source of inclusions in the ladle at Uddeholm Tooling.     

炼钢连铸流程在线钢水温度控制

为了实现炼钢过程钢水温度的精确控制,在分析了实际炼钢厂钢水温度控制现状和钢水温度影响因素的基础上,建立了关键工序节点钢水温度的正向预测模型和逆向预定模型.同时,为了克服现有钢水温度预报方法的不足,提出一种基于钢包热状态和BP神经网络的混合模型方法.该方法以钢包热状态跟踪模型为基础,充分考虑了钢包热状态对钢水温度的影响,并与BP神经网络结合,可有效提高预测精度.     

提高LF精炼钢包寿命的措施

精炼温度高造成渣线侵蚀严重以及炉渣对耐火材料的侵蚀，是影响精炼钢包寿命的主要原因。石横特钢厂采取稳定精炼初始温度；加强中间包烘烤；采用埋弧渣技术，制定合理的分钢种精炼温度等措施，使精炼钢包的平均使用寿命比４８炉次提高到５３炉次，耐火砖消耗降低了０．７９ｋｇ／ｔ钢。     

Mass transfer in intermediate ladles of continuous-casting machine

The removal of alumina particles from steel is considered for two configurations of a (90–100)-t intermediate ladle. Mass transfer is analyzed on the basis of simultaneous solution of the convective-diffusion equations of the inclusions in the melt and equations describing melt flow within the ladle, taking account of turbulence. An innovation in the assessment of the mass-transfer coefficient between the alumina particles and the refining flux is the concept of wave flow of a thin liquid-flux film as it interacts with the rough surface of the sintered slag. The removal of alumina particles (10–100 μm) from the metal is assessed.     

Process for improving the ladle free-opening rate for high aluminum steel in continuous casting

Steel 20Mn23AlV is a type of high aluminum steel with a very low ladle free-opening rate. The aluminum composition of 20Mn23AlV ranges from 1. 6% to 2. 45%,which is significantly higher than other types of steel.According to the real condition of 40 t ladle in steel-making plant of Baosteel Special Steel Company,previous works show that the key factors affecting the ladle free-opening rate of high aluminum steel in continuous casting are: sand material,accessories baking,ladle nozzle cleaning,the process and amount of adding sand,and the rate of argon stirring during refining. Therefore,improving the ladle filler sand quality,baking all of the raw materials,controlling the addition of ladle filler sand,cleaning the ladle nozzle,and optimizing argon stirring during the refining process can resolve the problem of a low ladle free-opening rate of high aluminum steel caused by the long ladle time of liquid steel.     

降低转炉出钢温度的实践

钢水过程热损失主要为钢水的辐射散热,对流传热和钢包、中间包耐火材料的吸热。为了减少钢水的过程温降,相应采取了一系列措施：优化钢包保温层,降低包衬的导热系数,减轻包衬的热损失;对脱氧合金化用合金进行烘烤,提高合金加入钢水前的温度;大包加保温盖,实施全程保护浇注等。改进后,平均出钢温度降低20℃以上。