Irregular initial solidification by mold thermal monitoring in the continuous casting of steels:A review

Occasional irregular initial solidification phenomena,including stickers,deep oscillation marks,depressions,and surface cracks of strand shells in continuous casting molds,are important limitations for developing the high-efficiency continuous casting of steels.The application of mold thermal monitoring(MTM) systems,which use thermocouples to detect and respond to temperature variations in molds,has become an effective method to address irregular initial solidification phenomena.Such systems are widely applied in numerous steel companies for sticker breakout prediction.However,monitoring the surface defects of strands remains immature.Hence,indepth research is necessary to utilize the potential advantages and comprehensive monitoring of MTM systems.This paper summarizes what is included in the irregular initial solidification phenomena and systematically reviews the current state of research on these phenomena by the MTM systems.Furthermore,the influences of mold slag behavior on monitoring these phenomena are analyzed.Finally,the remaining problems of the formation mechanisms and investigations of irregular initial solidification phenomena are discussed,and future research directions are proposed.

Formation and control of the surface defect in hypo-peritectic steel during continuous casting:A review

Hypo-peritectic steels are widely used in various industrial fields because of their high strength,high toughness,high processability,high weldability,and low material cost.However,surface defects are liable to occur during continuous casting,which includes depression,longitudinal cracks,deep oscillation marks,and severe level fluctuation with slag entrapment.The high-efficiency production of hypo-peritectic steels by continuous casting is still a great challenge due to the limited understanding of the mechanism of peritectic solidification.This work reviews the definition and classification of hypo-peritectic steels and introduces the formation tendency of common surface defects related to peritectic solidification.New achievements in the mechanism of peritectic reaction and transformation have been listed.Finally,countermeasures to avoiding surface defects of hypo-peritectic steels duiring continuous casting are summarized.Enlightening certain points in the continuous casting of hypo-peritectic steels and the development of new techniques to overcome the present problems will be a great aid to researchers.

Analysis of inhomogeneity of solidified microstructure of continuous casting copper tubular billet based on factor analysis

The horizontal continuous casting process,the initial step in TP2 copper tubular processing,directly determines the microstructure and properties of copper tubular.However,the process parameters of the continuous casting characterize time variation,multiple disturbances and strong coupling.As a consequence,their influence on a casting billet is difficult to be determined.Due to the above issues,the common factor and special factor analysis of the factor analysis model were used in this study,and the casting experiment and billet metallographic experiment were carried out to diagnose and analyze the reason of the microstructure inhomogeneity.The multiple process parameters were studied and classified using common factor analysis,2 the cast billets with abnormal microstructures were identified by GT^(2) statistics,and the most important factors affecting the microstructural homogeneity were found by special factor analysis.The calculated and experimental results show that the principal parameters influencing the inhomogeneity of solidified microstructure are the primary inlet water pressure and the primary outlet water temperature.According to the consequence of the above investigation,the inhomogeneity of the copper billet microstructure can be effectively improved when the process parameters are controlled and adjusted.

Analysis of Corrosion Behavior of ZrO_(2)-C Slag-line Materials in Continuous Casting

In view of the service failure and low continuous casting production efficiency due to the corrosion of refractories at the slag-line in submerged entry nozzles,a submerged entry nozzle for low-carbon aluminum killed steel continuous casting in one steel plant was sampled and taken as the research object to analyze the causes and the mechanism of refractory corrosion at the slag-line.The results show that the core issue of the corrosion and necking of the slag-line materials is that the slag-line material are eroded,dissolved,and reacted by the mold flux gradually.Therefore,it is important to suppress or avoid the contact and reaction between the mold flux and slag-line materials.

THE COMPUTATION AND EXPERIMENT ANALYSIS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTINUOUS CASTING WITH SOFT-CONTACTED MOULD

In this paper, coupling the quasi-3D numerical simulation of electromagnetic field and the experiments of continuous casting with soft-contacted mould with some metals such as tin, aluminum, copper and steel, the electromagnetic characteristics of continuous casting with soft-contacted mould is analyzed. It is shown that the electromagnetic pressure on the surface of billet is increasing with the rising of power frequency as a logarithmically parabolic function, with that of electric conductivity of billet as a power junction, and with that of the current in inductor as a parabolic junction.

Numerical simulation of fluid flows in a slab continuous casting mold under electromagnetic stirring

This study established a three-dimensional mathematical model to determine the fluid flow in a slab continuous casting mold under an electromagnetic stirring force. The flow structure and distribution were studied with respect to different continuous casting parameters and stirring current. Based on the calculation results, the mold flux entrapment index in free surface and velocity uniformity index were used to evaluate the flow field in the mold. The theoretical basis for the optimization of the flow field structure was provided. The study also suggested an optimization method for electromagnetic stirring parameters.

Meniscus Behavior in Electromagnetic Soft-Contact Continuous Casting Round Billet Mold

Using molten Pb-Sn-Bi alloy, the meniscus shape under high frequency magnetic field of φ100 mm round billet caster was investigated. The effect of some parameters on meniscus shape was studied. The results show that for a mold with 12 segments, the meniscus shape is relatively stable. With increasing power input, the menis- cus height increases with intensification of fluctuation. For the given caster, the reasonable power input is about 70 kW. The coil should be near to the top of mold and/or the initial meniscus should be near to the center of the coil. The lower the frequency, the higher is the meniscus height. With increasing frequency, the free surface is more flattened and meniscus becomes more stable. In practice, the power input should be increased simultaneously with frequency. The optimal frequency is about 20 kHz.

Study on Multiple Electromagnetic Continuous Casting of Aluminum Alloy

To obtain semi-solid Al alloy billet with high quality, an investigation was carried out by imposing a multiple magnetic field from the outside of a copper mold in the continuous casting. AISi6Mg2 alloy designed for semi-solid metal （SSM） processing was continuously cast through a submerged entry nozzle under various conditions. Effects of multiple magnetic field on meniscus motion, temperature distribution and billet quality were examined. The experimental results showed that meniscus disturbance caused by electromagnetic stirring could be controlled effectively and the surface quality of semi-solid AI alloy billet was improved greatly, and an uniformly fine, globular microstructure across the transverse section of the billet was achieved by optimizing the distribution of multiple magnetic field.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of BFe10 cupronickel alloy tubes fabricated by a horizontal continuous casting with heating-cooling combined mold technology

A new horizontal continuous casting method with heating-cooling combined mold （HCCM） technology was explored for fabri- cating high-quality thin-wall cupronickel alloy tubes used for heat exchange pipes. The microstructure and mechanical properties of BFe 10 cupronickel alloy tubes fabricated by HCCM and traditional continuous casting （cooling mold casting） were comparatively investigated. The results show that the tube fabricated by HCCM has smooth internal and external surfaces without any defects, and its internal and external surface roughnesses are 0.64 μm and 0.85 μm, respectively. The tube could be used for subsequent cold processing without other treatments such as surface planning, milling and acid-washing. This indicates that HCCM can effectively reduce the process flow and improve the pro- duction efficiency of a BFel0 cupronickel alloy tube. The tube has columnar grains along its axial direction with a major casting texture of {012}〈 621 〉. Compared with cooling mold casting （6 = 36.5%）, HCCM can improve elongation （3 = 46.3%） by 10% with a slight loss of strength, which indicates that HCCM remarkably improves the cold extension performance of a BFe 10 cupronickel alloy tube.

Fluid Flow and Solidification Simulation in Beam Blank Continuous Casting Process With 3D Coupled Model

Based on turbulent theory, a 3D coupled model of fluid flow and solidification was built using finite difference method and used to study the influence of superheating degree and casting speed on fluid flow and solidification, analyze the interaction between shell and molten steel, and compare the temperature distribution under different technological conditions. The results indicate that high superheating degree can lengthen the liquid-core depth and make the crack and breakout possible, so suitable superheating should be controlled within 35℃ according to the simulation results. Casting speed which is one of the most important technological parameters of improving production rate, should be controlled between 0. 85 m/min and 1.05 m/min and the caster has great potential in the improvement of blank quality.

Effect of Electromagnetic Frequency on Microstructures of Continuous Casting Aluminum Alloys

The relationship between electromagnetic frequency and microstructures of continuous casting aluminum alloys was studied. 7075 aluminum alloy ingot of 100 mm in diameter was produced by electromagnetic continuous casting process, the microstructures of as-cast ingot was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The results showed that electromagnetic frequency greatly influenced segregation and microstructures of as-cast ingot, and product quality can be guaranteed by the application of a proper frequency. Electromagnetic frequency plays a significant role in solute redistribution; low frequency is more efficient for promoting solution of alloying elements.

Morphology and Precipitation Kinetics of MnS in Low-Carbon Steel During Thin Slab Continuous Casting Process

The morphology of manganese sulfide formed during thin slab continuous casting process in low-carbon steel produced by compact strip production （CSP） technique was investigated. Using transmission electron microscopy analysis, it was seen that a majority of manganese sulfides precipitated at austenite grain boundaries, the morphologies of which were spherical or close to the spherical shape and the size of MnS precipitates ranged from 30 nm to 100 nm. A mathematical model of the manganese sulfide precipitation in this process was developed based on classical nucleation theory. Under the given conditions, the starting and finishing precipitation temperatures of MnS in the continuous casting thin slab of the studied low-carbon steel are 1 189 ℃ and 1 171 ℃, respectively, and the average diameter of MnS precipitates is about 48 nm within this precipitation temperature range. The influences of chemical components and thermo-mechanical processing conditions on the precipitation behavior of MnS in the same process were also discussed.

Simulation of heat transfer in steel billets during continuous casting

This work is focused on the development of computational algorithms to create a simulator for solving the heat transfer during the continuous casting process of steel. The temperatures and the solid shell thickness profiles were calculated and displayed on the screen for a billet through a defined continuous casting plant （CCP）. The algorithms developed to calculate billet temperatures, involve the solutions of the corresponding equations for the heat removal conditions such as radiation, forced convection, and conduction according to the billet posi- tion through the CCP. This is done by a simultaneous comparison with the kinematics model previously developed. A finite difference method known as Cmnk-Nicholson is applied to solve the two-dimensional computational array （2D model）. Enthalpy （HIJ） and temperature （TIL） in every node are updated at each step time. The routines to display the results have been developed using a graphical user interface （GUI） in the programming language C＋＋. Finally, the results obtained are compared with those of industrial trials for the surface temperature of three steel casters with different plant configurations in different casting conditions.

Liquid-solid interface control of BFe10-1-1 cupronickel alloy tubes during HCCM horizontal continuous casting and its effect on the microstructure and properties

Based on horizontal continuous casting with a heating-cooling combined mold （HCCM） technology, this article investigated the effects of processing parameters on the liquid-solid interface （LSI） position and the influence of LSI position on the surface quality, microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of a BFe10-1-1 tube （φ50 mm × 5 mm）. HCCM efficiently improves the temperature gradient in front of the LSI. Through controlling the LSI position, the radial columnar-grained microstructure that is commonly generated by cooling mold casting can be eliminated, and the axial columnar-grained microstructure can be obtained. Under the condition of 1250℃ melting and holding temperature, 1200-1250℃ mold heating temperature, 50-80 mm/min mean drawing speed, and 500-700 L/h cooling water flow rate, the LSI position is located at the middle of the transition zone or near the entrance of the cooling section, and the as-cast tube not only has a strong axial columnar-grained microstructure （{hkl}〈621〉, {hkl}〈221〉） due to strong axial heating conduction during solidification but also has smooth internal and external surfaces without cracks, scratches, and other macroscopic defects due to short solidified shell length and short contact length between the tube and the mold at high temperature. The elongation and tensile strength of the tube are 46.0%-47.2% and 210-221 MPa, respectively, which can be directly used for the subsequent cold-large-strain processing.

Temperature distribution and dynamic control of secondary cooling in slab continuous casting

To predict and optimize the temperature distribution of slab continuous casting in steady operational state, a three-dimensional model （named ＂offline model＂） based on the heat transfer and solidification theories was developed. Both heat transfer and flux distribution characteristics of the nozzle sprays on the slab were considered, and the complicated boundary conditions, such as spray cooling, natural convection, thermal radiation as well as contact cooling of individual rolls were involved in the model. By using the calibrated caster dependent model factors, the calculated temperature and shell thickness accorded well with the measured. Furthermore, a dynamic secondary water cooling control system was also developed on the basis of a two-dimensional transient heat transfer model （named ＂online model＂） and incremental PID control algorithm to reduce slab surface temperature fluctuation in unsteady state. Compared with the traditional spray table control method, the present online model and dynamic PID control demonstrate a higher capability and flexibility to adjust cooling water flowrate and reduce slab surface temperature fluctuation when the casting speed is changed.

Numerical Simulation of Heat Transfer and Deformation of Initial Shell in Soft Contact Continuous Casting Mold Under High Frequency Electromagnetic Field

Heat transfer and deformation of initial solidification shell in soft contact continuous casting mold under high frequency electromagnetic field were analyzed using numerical simulation method; the relative electromagnetic parameters were obtained from the previous studies. Owing to the induction heating of a high frequency electromagnetic field （20 kHz）, the thickness of initial solidification shell decreases, and the temperature of strand surface and slit copper mold increases when compared with the case without the electromagnetic filed. The viscosity of flux de- creases because of the induction heating of the high frequency electromagnetic field, and the dimension of the flux channel increases with electromagnetic pressure; thus, the deformation behavior of initial solidification shell was different before and after the action of high frequency electromagnetic field. Furthermore, the abatement mechanism of oscillation marks under high frequency electromagnetic field was explained.

Numerical simulation of temperature field in horizontal core-filling continuous casting for copper cladding aluminum rods

The steady-state temperature field of horizontal core-filling continuous casting （HCFC） for producing copper cladding aluminum rods was simulated by finite element method to investigate the effects of key processing parameters on the positions of solid-liquid interfaces （SLIs） of copper and aluminum. It is found that mandrel tube length and mean withdrawing speed have significant effects on the SLI positions of both copper and aluminum. Aluminum casting temperature （TAI） （1003-1123 K） and secondary cooling water flux （600-900 L.h-1） have little effect on the SLI of copper but cause the SLI of aluminum to move 2-4 mm. When TA1 is in a range of 1043-1123 K, the liquid aluminum can fill continuously into the pre-solidified copper tube. Based on the numerical simulation, reasonable processing parameters were determined.

Effects of operating parameters on the flow field in slab continuous casting molds with narrow widths

Computational simulations and high-temperature measurements of velocities near the surface of a mold were carried out by using the rod deflection method to study the effects of various operating parameters on the flow field in slab continuous casting(CC)molds with narrow widths for the production of automobile exposed panels.Reasonable agreement between the calculated results and measured subsurface velocities of liquid steel was obtained under different operating parameters of the CC process.The simulation results reveal that the flow field in the horizontal plane located 50 mm from the meniscus can be used as the characteristic flow field to optimize the flow field of molten steel in the mold.Increases in casting speed can increase the subsurface velocity of molten steel and shift the position of the vortex core downward in the downward circulation zone.The flow field of liquid steel in a 1040 mm-wide slab CC mold can be improved by an Ar gas flow rate of 7 L·min^−1 and casting speed of 1.7 m·min^−1.Under the present experimental conditions,the double-roll flow pattern is generally stable at a submerged entry nozzle immersion depth of 170 mm.

Analysis of cracking phenomena in continuous casting of 1Cr13 stainless steel billets with final electromagnetic stirring

Solidification cracking that occurs during continuous casting of 1Cr13 stainless steel was investigated with and without final elec- tromagnetic stirring （F-EMS）. The results show that cracks initiates and propagates along the grain boundaries where the elements of carbon and sulfur are enriched. The final stirrer should be appropriately placed at a location that is 7.5 m away from the meniscus, and the appropri- ate thickness of the liquid core in the stirring zone is 50 ram. As a stirring current of 250 A is imposed, it can promote colurnnar-equiaxed transition, decrease the secondary dendrite arm spacing, and reduce the segregation of both carbon and sulfur. F-EMS can effectively de- crease the amount of cracks in 1Cr13 stainless steel.

Physical modeling of gas-liquid interfacial fluctuation in a thick slab continuous casting mold with argon blowing

Combining with the physical model of level fluctuation in a thick slab continuous casting mold with the cross-section of 1500 mm×280 mm and argon blowing, the rationalities of estimating the level fluctuation by three traditional quantitative approaches were discussed, and the effects of gas flowrate, casting speed, and the immersion depth of submerged entry nozzle （SEN） on the level fluctuation were also investigated. As a result, it seems that three traditional quantitative approaches are not very suitable for estimating the level fluctuation in a mold with argon blowing, so a new approach for estimating level fluctuation in the mold with argon blowing was presented. The experimental results show that the level fluctuation is mainly in the region around the nozzle wall. When the casting speeds are larger than a certain value, there is the escape of large bubbles near the nozzle wall, which causes an obvious increase of level fluctuation. Furthermore, optimal process parameters, viz., the gas flowrate of 6 NL/min, the casting speed of 1.1 m/min, and the immersion depth of 170 mm, are presented to restrain the level fluctuation by a physical model.