Numerical simulation of the temperature fields of stainless steel with different roller parameters during twin-roll strip casting

The temperature field of stainless steel during twin-roll strip casting was simulated by experiment and a finite element （FE） model. By comparing the measured result with the simulated values, it is found that they fit close to each other, which indicates this FE model is effective. Based on this model, the effects of roll gap （t） and roll radius （R） on solidification were simulated. The simulated results give the relationship between t or R and the position of the freezing point. The larger the t is and the smaller the R is, the closer the position of the freezing point is to the exit.

Simulation of Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer and Micro-Segregation in Twin-roll Strip Casting of Stainless Steel

In twin-roll strip casting process, metal flow and temperature distribution in the molten pool directly affect the stability of the process and the quality of products. In this paper, a 3D coupled thermal-flow fenite element modeling （FEM） simulation for twin-roll strip casting of stainless steel was performed. Influences of the pouring temperature and casting speed on the temperature fields were obtained from the numerical simulation. The micro-segregation of the solutes during the strip casting process of stainless steel was also simulated. A developed micro-segregation model was used to calculate the micro-segregation of solutes in twin-roll casting of stainless steel. The relationship between the solidus fraction in solidification and temperature was given, which was used to determine the LIT （liquid impermeable temperature）, ZST （zero strength temperature） and ZDT （zero ductility temperature） in the period of non-equilibrium solidification. The effect of temperature on the micro-segregation was discussed. According to the computational results, the solidification completion temperature in the twin-roll strip casting of stainless steel was then determined, which can provide a basis for controlling the location of solidification completion temperature and analysing the crack of the casting strip.

Microstructure analysis of AISI 304 stainless steel produced by twin-roll thin strip casting process

The microstructure of AISI 304 austenlte stainless steel fabricated by the thin strip casting process were investigated using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope （SEM）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The microstructures of the casting strips show a duplex structure consisting of delta ferrite and austenite. The volume fraction of the delta ferrite is about 9.74vo1% at the center and 6.77vo1% at the surface of the casting thin strip, in vermicular and hand shapes. On account of rapid cooling and solidification in the continuous casting process, many kinds of inclusions and precipitates have been found. Most of the inclusions and precipitates are spherical complex compounds consisting of oxides, such as, SiO2, MnO, Al2O3, Cr2O3, and FeO or their multiplicity oxides of MnO.Al2O3, 2FeO.SiO2, and 2MnO.SiO2. Many defects including dislocations and stacking faults have also formed during the rapid cooling and solidification process, which is helpful to improve the mechanical properties of the casting strips.

Analysis of surface microcracks in low-carbon steel produced via twin-roll strip casting

In this study,morphological and microstructural analyses were conducted on net-shaped microcracks appearing on the surface of low-carbon steel manufactured via twin-roll strip casting. The fractograph and microscale distribution of elements in the cracked region were also analyzed. Results revealed that the cracked surfaces were characterized by slight pits,along with inclusions composed of manganese and silicon oxide distributed along both the sides of the cracks. Fractograph analysis revealed that the crack and smooth dendrite surfaces were oxidized. These phenomena indicate that microcracks on the cast strip surface form at the hightemperature stage of the solidification process during twin-roll casting and rolling. Microcracks were present in each region with pits in the cast strip and extended along the dendrite interface because of the combined effects of phasechange stress,thermal stress,mechanical stress,and fractional crystallization during the solidification process.

Research on directly cold-rolled AISI 304 stainless steel strip with the twin-roll strip casting process

In order to improve the surface quality and properties of AISI 304 stainless steel strip produced with the twinroll strip casting process,the strip was directly cold-rolled. The results show that cold rolling clearly improves the surface roughness,microstructure and properties. Residual δ ferrite is greatly decreased, anisotropy becomes less obvious and corrosion resistance is greatly improved. These results demonstrate the feasibility of directly cold-rolled AISI 304 stainless steel strip.

Study of measurement and control of free loop of hot steel strip in twin-roll strip casting

In the twin-roll strip casting process, hot cast strips can be broken or tom if the casting speed does not match the rolling speed. Usually, a certain length of hot steel strip is hung freely between the caster and rolling mill to deal with the effect of this speed difference. In this paper,the freely hanging hot steel strip is referred to as the free loop of hot steel strip. Accurately measuring and controlling the height of this free loop is the key factor in maintaining a stable casting operation. Several methods for measuring the loop height of a steel strip are discussed and a method for accurately measuring and controlling the free loop height of hot steel strip is presented. Based on the results of the casting loop quantity change curve, this control method is confirmed to be effective and able to meet the requirements of continuous casting strip production.

3D stress simulation and parameter design during twin-roll casting of 304 stainless steel based on the Anand model

This study first investigated cracks on the surface of an actual steel strip. Formulating the Anand model in ANSYS software, we then simulated the stress field in the molten pool of type 304 stainless steel during the twin-roll casting process. Parameters affecting the stress distribution in the molten pool were analyzed in detail and optimized. After twin-roll casting, a large number of transgranular and intergranular cracks resided on the surface of the thin steel strip, and followed a tortuous path. In the molten pool, stress was enhanced at the exit and at the roller contact positions. The stress at the exit decreased with increasing casting speed and pouring temperature. To ensure high quality of the fabricated strips, the casting speed and pouring temperature should be controlled above 0.7 m/s and 1520℃, respectively.

Water Modeling of Twin-Roll Strip Casting

Twin-roll strip casting is regarded as a prospective technology of near net shape continuous casting. The fluid flow field and level fluctuation in the pool have a strong influence not only on composition and temperature homogeneity of pool, but also on the strip quality. A 1 ： 1 water model of a twin-roll strip caster was set up based on the criteria of Froude number and Reynold number similarity. The level fluctuation was measured. The influence of pool depth, casting speed and feeding system configuration on level fluctuation in the pool was studied. The experimental results provided a basis for the optimization of feeding system and process parameters.

Application of Fuzzy Logic Controller to Level Control of Twin-Roll Strip Casting

An intelligent fuzzy-PID controller consisting of fuzzy logic controller and PID controller was developed to control the molten steel level of twin-roll strip caster.Additionally,a feedforward differential PID controller was used for stopper position control in order to avoid differential kick.It is proved by simulation that the proposed intelligent controller is able to obtain zero steady state error asymptotically and the control system is robust due to its fuggy behavior of the controller.

Bonding strength of Invar/Cu clad strips fabricated by twin-roll casting process

Based on traditional twin-roll casting process,Invar/Cu clad strips were successfully fabricated by using solid Invar alloy strip and molten Cu under conditions of high temperature,high pressure and plastic deformation.A series of tests including tensile test,bending test,T-type peeling test and scanning electron microscope(SEM)and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS)measurements were carried out to analyze the mechanical properties of Invar/Cu clad strips and the micro-morphology of tensile fracture surfaces and bonding interfaces.The results indicate that no delamination phenomenon occurs during the compatible deformation of Invar/Cu in bending test and only one stress platform exists in the tensile stress-strain curve when the bonding strength is large.On the contrary,different mechanical properties of Invar and Cu lead to delamination phenomenon during the uniaxial tensile test,which determines that two stress platforms occur on the stress-strain curve of Invar/Cu clad strips when two elements experience necking.The average peeling strength can be increased from13.85to42.31N/mm after heat treatment at800℃for1h,and the observation of the Cu side at peeling interface shows that more Fe is adhered on the Cu side after the heat treatment.All above illustrate that heat treatment can improve the strength of the bonding interface of Invar/Cu clad strips.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF MOLTEN POOL AND CONTROL STRATEGY OF KISS POINT IN A TWIN-ROLL STRIP CASTING PROCESS

Coupled turbulent flow, temperature fields of the twin-roll casting strip process were simulated by three-dimensional finite element method. Based on the heat balance calculation and using inverse methods between the simulations and real experiments, the relational models among casting speed, location, and coefficient of heat transfer between molten metal and rolls in different regions are given. In the simulation, the calculated surface temperatures are in good agreement with the measured values. An on-line model of kiss point is derived by simulations and the geometry of molten pool, corresponding control strategy is also proposed.

Heat transfer analysis and experimental study of unequal diameter twin-roll casting process for fabricating Cu/Al clad strips

Unequal diameter twin-roll casting(UDTRC)can improve the formability,surface conditions,and production efficiency during the fabrication of clad strips.Using Fluent software,a numerical simulation is used to study the asymmetric heat transfer characteristics of Cu/Al clad strips fabricated by UDTRC.The effects of roller velocity ratio,Cu strip thickness,and inclination angle on the kissing point position,as well as the entire temperature distribution are obtained.The heat transfer model is established,and the mechanism is discussed.The Cu strip and rollers are found to be the main causes of asymmetric heat transfer,indicating that the roller velocity ratio changes the liquid zone proportion in the molten pool.The Cu strip thickness determines the heat absorption capacity and the variations in thermal resistance between the molten Al and the big roller.The inclination angle of the small roller changes the cooling time of big roller to molten Al.Moreover,the microstructure of Al cladding under different roller velocity ratios is examined.The results show significant grain refinement caused by the shear strain along the thickness direction of Al cladding and the intense heat transfer at the moment of contact between the metal Al cladding and Cu strip.

Microstructure of AISI 304 stainless steel strips produced by a twin-roll caster

By optical inspection of macro-etched metallography and electron back-scattered diffraction （EBSD） mapping, this paper analyzed the microstructure of austenitic stainless steel strips produced with an equal-diameter twin-roll strip caster. The results indicate that the microstructure of the strips includes two columnar zones with highly compact dendrites and one equiaxed zone. The characteristics, such as grain size and growing direction of columnar grains and equiaxed grains, were investigated. An additional transitional area with many finer grains between the columnar zone and the equiaxed zone was found. As shown in EBSD analysis, small angle boundaries exist both in the columnar zone and the equiaxed zone, although they are especially more in the transitional area. Additionally, some 〈111〉 twin boundaries were found in the microstructure of the strips.

Heat Transfer Characteristic of Molten Pool for Twin-Roll Strip Casting

Body-fitted coordinate transformation equation was deduced and used to generate the body-fitted grids of molten pool for twin-roll strip casting.The orthogonality of the grids on the boundary was modified by adjusting source item.The energy equation and the boundary conditions were transformed from physical space to computational space.The velocity field model proposed by Hirohiko Takuda was used to calculate the temperature field of molten steel,and the influence of technical factors was also discussed.

Investigation of the solute transportation coupled with heat transfer and fluid flow during twin-roll strip casting process

Mathematical model of solute [C] distribution in twin-roll strip casting process has been setup successfully with Calcosoft for the first time. Simulation result shows that in the center of the molten steel pool between the two rolls there is a vortex flow, which is a solute enriched area. But the highest solute concentration position is at the solidification front of the columnar grain zone near the cooling roll surface. Another solute enriched position is in the back flow above the nip point. Combined with the formation mechanism of microstruoture in final as cast strip, analysis shows that solute enriched area is in the transitional area between columnar and equiaxed grain zone.

Interfacial pressure distribution and bonding characteristics in twin-roll casting of Cu/Al clad strip

The mechanical properties and product thickness specifications of bimetallic clad strip prepared by twin-roll casting are tightly related to the mechanical behavior of bonding interface interaction.The thermal−flow coupled simulation and the interface pressure calculation models are established with the cast-rolling velocity as the variable.The results show that the interface temperature decreases,the interface pressure and the proportion of the thickness of the Al side increase with the decrease in cast-rolling velocity.The thinning of Cu strip mainly occurs in the backward slip zone.The higher pressure and longer solid/semi-solid contact time make the interface bonded fully,which provides favorable conditions for atomic diffusion.The inter-diffusion zone with a width of 4.9μm is attained at a cast-rolling velocity of 2.4 m/min,and the Cu side surface is nearly completely covered by aluminum.Therefore,the ductile fracture occurs on the Al side,which prevents the propagation of interface delamination cracks effectively.Meanwhile,shear effect becomes more significant at high interfacial pressure and large plastic strain,and the microstructure on Al side is composed of slender columnar crystals.Thus,the metallurgical bonding and refinement of grains on the Al side can result in higher bonding strength and tensile properties of the clad strip.

Mathematical modeling of fluid flow and level profile during twin-roll strip casting process

In twin-roll strip casting process,transport phenomena of fluid in the molten pool directly affect the process stability and the quality of products.In order to elucidate the fundamental transport phenomena in twin-roll casting,a commercial software called ProCAST was employed to simulate the transient fluid flow and level profile behaviors during the early stage of the process in this study.The coupled set of governing differential equations for mass,momentum and energy balance were solved with the finite element method and the transient free surface problem was treated with a volume of fluids(VOF) approach.The effect of different delivery systems configuration on flow pattern,level profile in the pool was studied and analyzed in this paper. The new wedge metal delivery systems have been optimized for the twin-roll strip caster.It was shown that new type metal delivery systems had a preferable effect on the uniform distribution of fluid and level fluctuation in the pool.The simulation results also provide a valuable basis for the optimization of delivery system and process parameters during the initial pouring stage.

Morphological Variation of Eutectic Carbide in Twin-Roll Casting Strip of W9Cr4Mo2

The netlike eutectic carbide in twin-roll casting strip of W9Cr4V2 was dissolved and broken up gradually with increasing heating temperature during annealing treatment.Almost all eutectic carbides exist in granular form with heating temperature up to 950 ℃.It is considered that the refining of lamellar spacing made it possible for eutectic carbide to be granulated.

The future of the twin-roll strip casting and rolling process

Twin-roll strip casting and rolling is a typical near-net-shape steel manufacturing process.The twin-roll strip casting and rolling of low-carbon steel strips has made a number of breakthroughs and achieved significant results during the past 20 years.Baosteel has been paying close attention to the development of this technology and set up a research and development project focused on its industrialization in 2001.The Ningbosteel-Baosteel strip casting industrialization demo project(NBS),which was launched in 2016,marks the strip-casting technology(registered as Baostrip) developed by Baosteel as having reached an advanced international level after 15 years of effort.This paper summarizes the results obtained in the industrialized demonstration plant and considers the future development of strip casting and rolling.

Wear analysis of a side dam in twin-roll strip casting

Reducing wear on a side dam can prolong the casting operation life of a twin-roll strip casting process,thus reducing production cost and improving casting stability.To lengthen the service life of the side dam,it is necessary to understand the wear performance of the side dam material.To investigate the wear behavior mechanism of the side dam,in this study,the UMT-2 friction and wear tester was used to determine the relationship between the wear rate of the side-dam material and various parameters.Based on the roughness of the contact area between the side dam and the end of the casting rolls as well as on the amount of deformation of the side dam,which was derived using a thermal-deformation simulation model,the reasons for the uneven wear of the side dam were obtained.