Shape of slab solidification end under non-uniform cooling and its influence on the central segregation with mechanical soft reduction

In order to study the effect of continuous casting process parameters on the shape of slab solidification end under non-uniform cooling,a solidification model of a continuous-cast slab with non-uniform cooling condition was established with ProCAST software.The model was verified by the results of nail shooting tests and the infrared temperature measurement equipment.Four characteristic parameters were defined to evaluate the uniformity of the shape of slab solidification end.The results showed that the nonuniformity at the beginning and end of solidification,the solidification end length,and the solidification unevenness increased with the rise of casting speed.For each 10°C increase of superheat,the solidification unevenness increased by about 0.022.However,the effect of superheat on the solidification end length can be ignored.The secondary cooling strength showed minimal effect on the nonuniformity at the beginning and end of solidification.With the increase in secondary cooling intensity,the solidification end length decreased,but the solidification unevenness increased.In addition,the central segregation of the slab produced with and without the mechanical soft reduction(MSR)process was investigated.The transverse flow of molten steel with low solid fraction influenced the central segregation morphology under MSR.

Solute redistribution and macrosegregation in continuous casting slab of carbon steel during solidification process

Based on the modified Scheil model of solute redistribution,the effects of solidification rate,molten steel flow,and alloy composition on solute macrosegregation during the solidification of carbon steel continuous casting billet are calculated and analyzed. The formation mechanism of "white band "segregation under the condition of electromagnetic stirring is also involved,and some practical countermeasures to restrain the central segregation are suggested. The results show that the modified Scheil model can be applied to predict and analyze the macrosegregation of casting slab effectively. The ratio vx/R of the flow velocity of molten steel to solidification rate has decisive formations of segregation such as linear,V,and "white band"types. It is an effective way to select sufficient terminal cooling and reasonable electromagnetic stirring in order to decrease macrosegregation in the slab. The concept of the characteristic distance of solute enrichment layer can drastically simplify the calculation of solute redistribution at the solid/liquid interface of various elements in carbon steel.

Comparison and integration of final electromagnetic stirring and thermal soft reduction on continuous casting billet

Final electromagnetic stirring(F-EMS)and thermal soft reduction(TSR)are techniques that improve the inner quality of continuous casting billets,but they have rarely been applied simultaneously.The application effects of F-EMS and TSR were compared,and a process integrating F-EMS and TSR was adopted for a billet continuous caster.A heat transfer model was established to calculate the thermal behavior of 82A tire cord steel billet.The locations of F-EMS and TSR were determined,followed by conducting a series of plant trials,involving F-EMS alone,TSR alone,and the integrated process of F-EMS and TSR.The results showed that F-EMS or TSR could effectively improve the inner quality of the billet under their respective suitable working conditions.Moreover,F-EMS was found to be more helpful in terms of improving central segregation,while TSR tended to improve V-segregation,central porosity,and pipe.The integration of F-EMS and TSR allowed the advantages of each technique to be utilized,thereby better improving the inner quality.Among all the working conditions,82A steel billet showed optimum inner quality when the current of F-EMS was 240 A and the cooling intensity of TSR was 2.2 m^(3) h^(−1).These findings demonstrate that the integration of F-EMS and TSR is promising for application on continuous casting billets.