Finite element numerical simulation on thermo-mechanical behavior of steel billet in continuous casting mold

The thermo-mechanical behavior of a thin, growing shell during the early stages of solidification in a continuous casting mold is very important to the ultimate quality of the final billet. A two-dimensional, transient finite element model has been developed to treat the heat flow and deformation of the solidifying shell in the continuous casting billet mold as a coupled phenomena. The major application of the model is to predict the extent of the gap between the mold and the shell and focus on the influence of mold taper on the thermo-mechanical behavior of the steel billet to help to understand the formation of off-corner cracks and break-outs in the solidifying shell. The calculations indicate that the gap is initially formed at the corner of the billet, where heat transfer is greatly reduced. Insufficient mold taper contributes to a hot spot in the off-corner region, which corresponds to the lowest shell thickness. At the same time, the solidifying front on the diagonal of the billet is subjected to an excessive mechanical strain, which causes the off-corner cracks and even the break-outs.