Effect of continuous casting speed on mold surface flow and the related near-surface distribution of non-metallic inclusions

For the control of surface defects in interstitial-free(IF) steel, quantitative metallographic analyses of near-surface inclusions and surface liquid flow detection via the nail-board tipping method were conducted. The results show that, at casting speeds of 0.8 and 1.0 m/min, a thin liquid mold flux layer forms and non-uniform floating of argon bubbles occurs, inducing the entrainment and subsequent entrapment of the liquid flux; fine inclusion particles of Al_2O_3 can also aggregate at the solidification front. At higher casting speeds of 1.4 and 1.6 m/min, the liquid mold flux can be entrained and carried deeper into the liquid steel pool because of strong level fluctuations of the liquid steel and the flux. The optimal casting speed is approximately 1.2 m/min, with the most favorable surface flow status and, correspondingly, the lowest number of inclusions near the slab surface.

Study on non-metallic inclusions in Al killed high strength alloy steel refined by high basicity and high Al_2O_3 content slag

Laboratory and industrial studies were carried out to investigate non-metallic inclusions in high strength alloy steel refined by high basicity and high Al_2O_3 slag.It was found that the steel/slag reaction time largely affected non-metallic inclusions.With the reaction time increased from 30 min to 90 min in laboratory study,MgO-Al_2O_3 spinels were gradually changed into CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3 system inclusions surrounded by softer CaO-Al_2O_3 surface layers.By using high basicity slag which contained as much as 41%Al_2O_3 in the laboratory study,ratio of low melting temperature CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3 system inclusions was remarkably increased to above 80%.In the industrial experiment,during the secondary refining,the inclusions changed in order of 'Al_2O_3→MgO-Al_2O_3→CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3'.Through the LF and RH refining,most inclusions could be transferred to lower melting temperature CaO-Al_2O_3 and CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3 system inclusions.

Three-dimensional analysis technology for accurately characterizing non-metallic inclusion particles in steel

In this paper, a kind of three-dimensional analysis technology for characterizing non-metallic inclusions in steel was clearly elaborated. It is an electron microscopy observation, namely the non-aqueous electrolysis extraction method with a settled coulometer. In the research,the extraction effects of non-metallic inclusions in different electrolysis systems were studied, and it was concluded that alkalescent 2% TEA non-aqueous electrolyte was applicable for extracting most of non-metallic inclusion particles in steel. And then, in order to ensure the microscopic characterization and statistical calculation of inclusion particles, some electrolysis parameters should be confirmed, such as the size of the sample, control of the electrolysis mass, electric current, etc. Furthermore, for preventing the disturbance of carbides and presenting clear three-dimensional appearance by microscopic characterization, magnetic separation was utilized to separate the inclusion particles from carbides, which was useful for getting more veracious types, particle sizes and chemical composition of inclusions. Moreover, through calculation of quantity and particle size of inclusions in continuous determinate fields, the total quantity per unit volume or area and the particle size distribution of inclusions could be acquired by conversion with electrolysis loss. Besides, the comparison between this method and traditional quantitative metallography was also discussed, and finally, a conclusion was drawn that both of them have respectively applications in characterizing inclusions.

Characterization and analysis of non-metallic inclusions in Ni42-Fe expansive alloy

Cracks and ruptures always occur during wire drawing process of 42% nickel-iron expansive alloy. In order to study the reasons of these phenomena,a method of metallographic observation in combination with sample electrolysis was used to characterize the non-metallic inclusions in the alloy wire. The results indicate that the inclusions in the alloy are oxidation products during the process of melting. There are single or complex phase inclusions composed of elements such as Al,Si,Ca,Ti,Fe,and O2. Among them,the macro-inclusions are TiO2 compound inclusions formed by the adhesion of Al and Si oxides on them. These inclusions are fragile ones with a low strain rate,as well as a rather high hardness,so that they are the main reason that leads to the surface cracks and ruptures in the alloy wires. The analysis has educed that the key point to enhance the product quality is to promote the cleanliness of the melt,control the types and quantity of non-metal inclusions in the alloy.

Non-metallic Inclusions in Continuously Cast Aluminum Killed Steels

In aluminum killed steels, the size, shape, quantity and formation of non-metallic inclusions in ladle steel (before and after RH vacuum treatment) and in tundish as well as in slabs were studied by EPMA (Electron Probe Microanalysis) and by analyzing the total oxygen. The results showed that in the slabs the total oxygen was quite low and the inclusions discovered were mainly small-sized angular alumina inclusions. This indicates that most inclusions have been removed by floating out during the continuous casting process. In addition, the countermeasures were discussed to decrease the alumina inclusions in the slabs further.

Behavior of Non-metallic Inclusions in Centrifugal Induction Electroslag Castings

In order to know the behavior of non-metallic inclusions in centrifugal induction electroslag castings (CIESC), non-metallic inclusions in 5CrMnMo and 4Cr5MoSiV1 were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The largest size of inclusions in the casting and the thermodynamic possibility of TiN precipitation in steel were also calculated. The results show that sulfide inclusions are evenly distributed and the content is low. The amount of oxide inclusions in CIESC: 4Cr5MoSiV1 steel is close to the ESR steel and lower than that in the EAF steel, and there are some differences along radial direction. Nitride inclusions are fine and the diameter of the largest one is 3-1 mum. With the increase of the centrifugal machine's rotational speed, the ratio of round inclusions increases and the ratio of sharp inclusions decreases. According to the experiment and the calculation results, it is pointed out that the largest diameter of non-metallic inclusions in the CIESC 4Cr5MoSiV1 casting is only 6.6 mum, and [N%][Ti%] in 4Cr5MoSiV1 steel should be controlled less than 4.4x 10(-5) in order to further reduce the amount and size of TiN inclusions.

Fluid Inclusion Geochemistry of Metallic Ore Deposits in the South- Central Sector of theDa Hinggan Mountains in China

Physicochemical parameters of mineralization such as temperature, pressure, salinity, density, composition and boiling of ore fluids as well as pH, Eh, fo2 and reducing parameter in theprocess of mineralization of major ore deposits in the study district have been obtained by the authors through systematic observation and determination of characteristics and phase changes of fluid inclusions at different temperatures and analysis of gaseous and liquid phase compositions of the inclusions, thus providing a scientific basis for the division of mineralization-alteration stages, types of mineral deposits and minerogenetic series and the deepening of the knowledge about the ore-forming processes and mechanisms of mineral deposits. It is indicated that the deposits of the same type have similar fluid inclusion geochemical features and physicochemical parameters though they belong to different minerogenetic series, while the compositions of inclusions are not conditioned by deposit types but closely related to the minerogenetic series of deposits.

Effect of retained austenite and nonmetallic inclusions on the thermal/electrical properties and resistance spot welding nuggets of Si-containing TRIP steels

Five advanced high-strength transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP) steels with different chemical compositions were studied to correlate the retained austenite and nonmetallic inclusion content with their physical properties and the characteristics of the resistance spot welding nuggets. Electrical and thermal properties and equilibrium phases of TRIP steels were predicted using the JMatPro? software. Retained austenite and nonmetallic inclusions were quantified by X-ray diffraction and saturation magnetization techniques. The nonmetallic inclusions were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the contents of Si, C, Al, and Mn in TRIP steels increase both the retained austenite and the nonmetallic inclusion contents. We found that nonmetallic inclusions affect the thermal and electrical properties of the TRIP steels and that the differences between these properties tend to result in different cooling rates during the welding process. The results are discussed in terms of the electrical and thermal properties determined from the chemical composition and their impact on the resistance spot welding nuggets.

Novel ternary metals-based telluride electrocatalyst with synergistic effects of high valence non-3d metal and oxophilic Te for pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction

Electrocatalyst designs based on oxophilic foreign atoms are considered a promising approach for developing efficient pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)electrocatalysts by overcoming the sluggish alkaline HER kinetics.Here,we design ternary transition metals-based nickel telluride(Mo WNi Te)catalysts consisting of high valence non-3d Mo and W metals and oxophilic Te as a first demonstration of non-precious heterogeneous electrocatalysts following the bifunctional mechanism.The Mo WNi Te showed excellent HER catalytic performance with overpotentials of 72,125,and 182 mV to reach the current densities of 10,100,and 1000 mA cm^(-2),respectively,and the corresponding Tafel slope of 47,52,and 58 mV dec-1in alkaline media,which is much superior to commercial Pt/C.Additionally,the HER performance of Mo WNi Te is well maintained up to 3000 h at the current density of 100 mA cm^(-2).It is further demonstrated that the Mo WNi Te exhibits remarkable HER activities with an overpotential of 45 mV(31 mV)and Tafel slope of 60 mV dec-1(34 mV dec-1)at 10 mA cm^(-2)in neutral(acid)media.The superior HER performance of Mo WNi Te is attributed to the electronic structure modulation,inducing highly active low valence states by the incorporation of high valence non-3d transition metals.It is also attributed to the oxophilic effect of Te,accelerating water dissociation kinetics through a bifunctional catalytic mechanism in alkaline media.Density functional theory calculations further reveal that such synergistic effects lead to reduced free energy for an efficient water dissociation process,resulting in remarkable HER catalytic performances within universal pH environments.

Thermodynamics of Modifying Effect of Rare Earth Oxide on Inclusions in Hardfacing Metal of Medium-High Carbon Steel

The modifying effect of rare earth (RE) oxide on inclusions in hardfacing metals of medium-high carbon steel was investigated by means of thermodynamics. The thermodynamic analysis for inclusion formation shows that RE oxide can be reduced to RE element by carbon, then the RE element can react with oxygen and sulfur to form the RE oxide, RE sulfide and RE oxide-sulfide in hardfacing molten pool. The deoxidization and the desulphurization can be carried out and the liquid metal can be purified. In addition, RE oxide can also react with sulfur to form RE oxide-sulfide directly. Therefore, the harmful effect of sulfur can be decreased.

Inclusion behavior and microstructure of weld metal with Ce in twin wire high heat input submerged-arc welding

In this study,the welding thermal cycle curve exhibited two temperature peaks in high heat-input twin-wire separate-pool submerged-arc welding and coarse-grained heat affected zone existed in the welded joint. The inclusions of primary weld metal and coarse-grained heat affected zone of Ce-added SAW should be Al_2O_3,MnO,SiO_2,TiO,Ce_2S_3,CeS,Ce_2O_2S and Ce_2O_3. Under the effect of welding thermal cycle,oxy-sulfides inclusions of Ce,the diameter of which was less than 2. 0 μm,slightly grew larger,but the composition and type of the inclusions didn't change. The microstructure of the large heat input weld metal had acicular ferrite that Ce oxide sulphide particles induced nucleation and proeutectoid ferrite. In the coarse-grained heat affected zone of weld metal,home-position precipitation of acicular ferrite and sympathetic acicular ferrite were both observed. It was supposed that previous crystal cells of acicular ferrite in austenite grain promoted home-position precipitation of acicular ferrite. Meanwhile,sympathetic acicular ferrite tended to nucleate at the primary acicular ferrite grain boundaries,where high dislocation density was located,and grew inside the neighboring carbon-depleted austenitic regions. The granular bainite nucleated in the austenitic zone with high carbon content close to acicular ferrite and sympathetic acicular ferrite.

Geology, Mineralization, Fluid Inclusion and Stable Isotope of the Early Cretaceous Sn and Associated Metal Deposits in the Southern Great Xing’an Range, NE China: A Review

The Southern Great Xing’an Range(SGXR) hosts a number of Early Cretaceous Sn and associated metal deposits, which can be divided into three principal types according to their geological characteristics: skarn type deposits, porphyry type deposits and hydrothermal vein type deposits. Fluid inclusion assemblages of different types of deposits are quite different, which represent the complexities of metallogenic process and formation mechanism. CH4 and CO2 have been detected in fluid inclusions from some of deposits, indicating that the ore-forming fluids are affected by materials of Permian strata. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope data from ore minerals and associated gangue minerals indicate that the initial ore fluids were dominated by magmatic waters, some of which had clearly exchanged oxygen with wall rocks during their passage through the strata. The narrow range for the δ34S values presumably reflects the corresponding uniformity of the ore forming fluids, and these δ34S values have been interpreted to reflect magmatic sources for the sulfur. The comparation between lead isotope ratios of ore minerals and different geological units’ also reveals that deeply seated magma has been a significant source of lead in the ores.

ULTRASONIC SEPARATION OF MICRO-SIZED INCLUSIONS IN MOLTEN METAL

The coagulation time and position of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in molten metal during ultrasonic separation process were investigated, and the motion course of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in an ultrasonic standing wave field was numerically simulated. The results of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that the movement of inclusions depends on the balance between the acoustic radiation force, effective buoyancy force and viscous drag force. It is presented that micro-sized inclusions, agglomerated at antinode-planes may be removed further with horizon tal ultrasound.``

A Study of Metal Ions Packing Hydrated Layer of Inclusion Crystals

The inclusion crystal formed by the hexamethylenamine with p-nitrophenol has a layer type structure,and is divided or- ganic layer and inorganic layer,the latter has a width of 1.0136nm.Metal ions can enter hydrated layer of the crystal,the con- tents of the cations and water in the crystal are determined.The XRD analysis of the layer type structure of the crystal is also giv- en.

Influence of Inclusion Shape on Thermoelasto-Plastic Optimun Design of Ceramic Metal Functionally Graded Materials

A nonlinear finite element method is applied to observe how inclusion shape influence the thermal response of a ceramic-metal functionally graded material (FGM). The elastic and plastic behaviors of the layers which are two-phase isotropic composites consisting of randomly oriented elastic spheroidal Inclusions and a ductile matrix are predicted by cc mean field method. The prediction results show that inclusion shape has remarkable influence on the overall behavior of the composite. The consequences of the thermal response analysis of the FGM are that the response is dependent on inclusion shape and its composition profile cooperatively and that the plastic behavior of each layer should be taken into account in optimum design of a ceramic-metal FGM.

Kinetics of Formation of Large-Dimension Rare Earth Inclusion in Steels

The elemental distribution within the large-dimension rare earth inclusion in steels was studied through analysis on plane distribution of elements by EPMA (Electron Probe Microanalyzer). The kinetics and mechanism of formation of RE inclusion were discussed, taking 5CrNiMo steel with the addition of RE and other microalloying elements as example. RE inclusions nucleate on oxides and sulphides with high melting point and grow up separately, then integrated by relatively high surface activity, which is a particular characteristic of RE elements, in liquid phase and during the course of solidification. Finally, the fine and dispersed RE inclusions merge and grow into a large-dimension one.

Effect of mold rotation on inclusion distribution in bearing steel during electroslag remelting process

To remove the inclusions in the ingots by conventional electroslag remelting(ESR), the bearing steel was prepared using ESR process but with mold rotation in this study. Experimental results show a reduction in amount of large inclusions when the mold rotation rate is 6 r·min-1, and the inclusions are uniformly distributed in the ESR ingot. As comparison with the electroslag ingots of conventional ESR(stationary mold), the portion of the Al2O3 inclusions smaller than 1 μm in size increase from 38% to 41.4%, whereas that of the SiO2 inclusions increases from 48% to 74% in the ingots when mold rotation is applied. This phenomenon is caused by the decrease in metal droplet size, resulting in large contact area between the slag pool and metal droplets in ESR process with mold rotation. Moreover, the metal droplets have relatively long movement routes, leading to long metal contact time between the slag pool and metal droplets when a relative motion between the consumable electrodes and mold is present. However, when the mold rotation rate is increased to 45 r·min-1, inclusion removing effect decreases. An excessive rotation rate causes wild motion in the slag pool, which drives the molten metal droplets to move violently, and as a result, the slag is entrapped into the metal pool, decreasing the ability of slag absorbing inclusions.

Temperature-dependent evolution of oxide inclusions during heat treatment of stainless steel with yttrium addition

The evolution of oxide inclusions during isothermal heating of 18Cr–8Ni stainless steel with yttrium addition at temperatures of 1273 to 1573 K was investigated systematically.Homogeneous spherical Al–Y–Si(–Mn–Cr)oxide inclusions were observed in as-cast steel.After heating,most of the homogeneous inclusions were transformed into heterogeneous inclusions with Y-rich and Al-rich parts,even though some homogeneous oxide particles were still observed at 1273 and 1573 K.With the increase in heating temperature,more large-sized inclusions were formed.The shape of the inclusions also changed from spherical to irregular.The maximum transformation temperature of inclusions was determined to be 1373 K.The evolution mechanism of inclusions during heating was proposed to be the combined effect of the(i)internal transformation of inclusions due to the crystallization of glassy oxide and(ii)interfacial reaction between inclusions and steel matrix.Meanwhile,the internal transformation of inclusions was considered to be the main factor at heating temperatures less than 1473 K.

Purification and Refolding of a Novel β-Agarase from Inclusion Body of E. coli

β-agarase AgaB appears to represent a new family of glycoside hydrolase; it is structurally and functionally different from other known agarases. In the present study, AgaB was expressed with a temperature-inducible expression system in E. coli BL21 (DE3) as a fusion protein bearing a C-terminal hexahistidine tag. The protein existed mainly in the form of inclusion body. After being washed and solubilized, AgaB in inclusion body was denatured and purified to electrophoretic purity by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. The purified AgaB was then refolded using a simple pulse dilution method, and the refolded AgaB showed a high specific hydrolysis activity of about 1600 units /mg protein. Forty milligrams of refolded pure protein were obtained from 1L of culture.

Thermodynamic aspects of inclusion engineering in steels

Tailoring non-metallic inclusions in accordance to the desired effect on steel properties has gained widespread acceptance in the last decades and has become known as “inclusion engineering”. Effective inclusion engineering involves three steps： （a） a good knowledge of how inclusions influence properties, （b） understanding what is the effect of each type of inclusions on these properties and thus which is the most desirable inclusion in a given product and （c） adjusting the processing parameters to obtain these inclusions. A significant portion of the process adjustment is done during steel refining, where the steel can be tailored so that the desired chemical composition of the non-metallic inclusions that will precipi- tate can be altered. Understanding the relations between steel chemistry, processing variables and inclusion chemical composition requires significant understanding of the thermodynamics of the systems involved. These complex equilibrium calculations are best done using computational thermodynamics. In this work some of the basic techniques used to control inclusion composition are reviewed and the thermodynamic information required to perform this task is presented. Several examples of the application of computational thermodynamics to inclusion engineering of different steels grades are presented and compared with experimental results, whenever possible. The potential and limitations of the method are highlighted, in special those related to thermodynamic data and databases.