Isotherm velocity in the axial zone of a continuously cast steel ingot

Abstract

The behavior of the isotherm velocity in a continuously cast solidifying steel ingot is analyzed. An expression is obtained to describe the accelerated motion of isotherms near the thermal center of a cooled body (the center of symmetry of the body) without a phase transition. In the axial zone of the solidifying ingot, where the thermal overheating is insignificant, the isotherm velocity is caused by the action of two opposing factors: (i) the accelerated motion of isotherms that is characteristic of bodies cooled without a phase transition when the thermal center is approached and (ii) the release of the heat of phase transition. As a result, in the axial zone of an ingot made of a low-carbon steel (the initial carbon concentration C 0 ≤ 0.2%), the liquidus isotherm velocity is almost constant, whereas the isotherm motion at the end of solidification is sharply accelerated, as in the case of purely thermal cooling. For high-carbon steels (C 0 ≥ 1.0% C), the liquidus isotherm velocity increases, and the velocity of the isotherm at the end of solidification is constant (the effect of the eutectic transformation manifests itself). As a consequence, in low-carbon steels, the pool calculated from the liquidus and pouring-boundary isotherms has the shape of an acute-angled wedge, and the pool calculated from the isotherm of the end of solidification has a rounded shape. In contrast, in high-carbon steels, the pool shape calculated from the liquidus and pouring-boundary isotherms is rounded, and the pool shape calculated from the isotherm of the end of solidification is wedgelike. As a result of the analysis, a mathematical procedure is proposed for the calculation of the isotherm velocity in the two-phase zone and the shape and position of the pool bottom (from the corresponding isotherms) in a continuously cast solidifying steel ingot.