Recent advances in the understanding of the role of vanadium carbonitride precipitation to improve surface edge cracking on continuous casting of blooms

Abstract

This study aims in combining the material properties and numerical modelling techniques through practical application to provide understanding of surface edge cracking caused by V(C, N) precipitation to enhance the yield of the continuous bloom caster at ArcelorMittal Duisburg. The investigation for this work is carried out on three different micro-alloyed steel grades; one of them being the most crack sensitive 20MnV6. A process model is used which calculates the solidification process of the strand to design an optimum cooling strategy. Therefore, two cooling patterns are employed for the steel grade 20MnV6. Reduction of area values of the steel grades 20MnV6, 27MnSiVS6 and 38MnSiVS5 evaluated from hot tensile tests using a Gleeble simulator have been used as an indication in assessing steel’s cracking behaviour. Further precipitates have been analysed by SEM at ArcelorMittal. These laboratory results suggest that precipitation kinetics of V(C, N) influences the crack sensitivity of the micro-alloyed steel. The software MatCalc® is used to simulate precipitation for process parameters of continuously cast blooms at Arcelor Mittal Duisburg as well as the parameters of the Gleeble experiments. From these simulations the Zener pinning force (ZPF), resulting from V(C, N) particles on grain boundaries, is evaluated which can be used as a measure for the crack sensitivity. Using the values of the ZPF it is possible to identify the set of casting parameters of the steel grade 20MnV6 which lead to the minimum crack intensity on the surface of the blooms. Moreover it is possible to make a ranking list with respect to the ductility drop occurring in the Gleeble experiments for the analysed steel grades. The proposed statement is an issue for a continuing investigation of precipitation modelling.