Cast Billets Research Articles

To the Question of the Manufacturing Ability a Contact Wire by Continuous Casting Rod

The article presents the results of pilot-industrial experiments in the field of manufacturing technology of contact wire made of Cu-Sn alloys. Cast rods with a diameter of 20 mm, made of CuSn0.04, CuSn0.1, CuSn0.2, CuSn0.3, CuSn0.4 alloys, were obtained in a continuous casting plant on an Upcast system. Cast rods were deformed using a Conform technology, and extruded billets with a diameter of 18 and 20 mm were produced, which were subsequently drawn on a shaped contact wire with a cross section of 100 mm2. Cast rods macrostructure and microstructure were studied. The macrostructure quantitative assessment of samples was studied in a cross and longitudinal section. A plot of the effect of the tin content in the alloy on the average grain area in cross section is obtained. An increase in the tin content in the alloy leads to a decrease in the average grain area. An analysis of the rod microstructure in a cross section showed that the structure is a grain of an α-solid solution of tin in copper, and the grain boundaries are thin and clean. After deformation by Conform technology a uniform fine-grained structure is ensured. The effect of the tin content in the alloy on the Brinell hardness of cast billets, made by Conform technology, is determined. An increase in the tin content in the alloy leads to an increase in the hardness of both cast and deformed billets. The microstructure analysis of the contact wire in the cross section is carried out. The mechanical and electrical properties of the contact wire with a cross section of 100 mm2 are determined. An analysis of the results showed when the tin content in the alloy is up to 0.4 wt. %, the required level of mechanical and electrical properties of the contact wire is not provided. It may be necessary to change the size of the initial billet before drawing or to increase the tin content in the alloy more than 0.4 wt. %.

Estimating the Stress-Strain State of Roll by Temperature Gradient in the Course of its Heat Treatment

The paper considers the issue of mathematical simulating the stress-strain state of a roll in the course of its heat treatment. It is shown that a sound heat treatment schedule affects significantly the economic efficiency of a metallurgical enterprise. The mathematical apparatus is provided to estimate the thermal interaction in the casting-furnace system, based on which a program for calculating the thermal state of a roll during heat treatment has been developed. Using this program allows evaluating the thermal stresses occurring in a roll during the heat treatment cycle and reducing the risk of discontinuity in the roll cast billet. Also, using the program developed, allows significant reducing the engineer-technologist man-hours for the design of the process cycle of the casting heat treatment. An example of calculating the thermal state of a roll with a diameter of 930 mm in casting is given. The change in the dynamics of the maximum temperature gradient along the product radius is shown, while correlating it with the furnace setting.

Investigation structure and properties of wire from the alloy of AL-REM system obtained with the application of casting in the electromagnetic mold, combined rolling-extruding, and drawing

The paper presents the results of studies of the structure and properties of a wire with a diameter of 0.5 mm from an alloy of the Al-REM system with a rare-earth metal content of 7–9%. Wire obtained as a result of the implementation of the technology of its manufacture using the methods of casting into an electromagnetic mold (EMM), continuous extruding, and drawing. The rheological properties of the metal of continuously cast round billets from the experimental alloy obtained using an electromagnetic mold are determined. The modeling and analytical assessment of the possibility of carrying out the process of combined rolling-extruding (CRE) of such billets in a closed box-type roll groove of a continuous extruding unit are carried out. The features of metal shaping have been studied. The temperature-speed and technological parameters were found at which the CRE process can be carried out in a stable mode of operation. Data have been obtained for the forces acting on the die and rolls during rolling-extruding. The results of experimental studies of the process of obtaining longish deformed semi-finished products from an experimental alloy on the laboratory unit CRE-200 and the pilot plant unit CRE-400 are presented. The structure of the metal has been studied; data on the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, relative elongation, and electrical resistance of hot-extruded rods and wires in cold-worked and annealed states have been obtained. It was found that the proposed processing modes make it possible to obtain by the method of combined rolling-extruding rods with a diameter of 9 mm in industrial conditions from longish billets with a diameter of 18 mm, cast by means of EMM. Wire in a cold-deformed and annealed state with a diameter of 0.5 obtained by drawing from the rods with a diameter of 9 mm from an experimental alloy of the Al-REM system containing 7–9% rare-earth metals with the required physical and mechanical properties.

In-situ microstructural control of A6082 alloy to modify second phase particles by melt conditioned direct chill (MC-DC) casting process – A novel approach

• High shear melt conditioning in the sump during direct chill casting of A6082 billet. • Novelty of maintaining 2–7 °C above alloy liquidus as the sump thermal condition. • In-situ control of solidification during casting by intensive melt shearing. • Precise tailoring of as-cast microstructure to modify second phase particles. • Potential for industries to eliminate homogenisation and use recycled Al alloys. Controlling the formation of noncompact second phase particles during direct chill (DC) casting of aluminium alloys with grain refiner addition remains challenging, as it results in energy intensive homogenisation and deformation problems. In this work, we employed a novel strategy in the DC casting of A6082 alloy to produce billets with a fine-scale dispersion of second phase particles. The strategy involves maintaining 2–7 °C above alloy liquidus as a thermal condition in the sump by in-situ melt conditioning (MC) using a rotor-stator high-shear device operated at a critical rotation speed. As a result, in-situ control of solidification behaviour is achieved to precisely tailor the as-cast microstructure. The billet grain refinement is attained by MC-DC casting without the deliberate addition of chemical grain refiners. The microstructure of the MC-DC cast billet at the critical rotation speed showed a fine-scale dendritic structure with refined secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS). The solidification front proceeded with a shallow sump and a corresponding shorter solidification time, higher cooling rate, higher temperature gradient, and smooth solidification rate profile. The ideal fine-scale dendrites with low SDAS divided the remaining eutectic liquid into fine-scale and isolated liquid pockets, resulting in fine-scale, compact morphology, and uniform distribution of second phase particles in the as-cast microstructure. The MC-DC casting process showed the ability to increase the cast house production rate by increasing the casting speed without bleeding the billet. The present approach could be beneficial for eliminating or reducing the homogenisation practice and may also introduce significant flexibility in using recycled Al alloys in the industry.

Non-metallic inclusions in different zones of crystallization of E90KhAF rail steel

Metallographic and X-ray studies of continuously cast billets of E90KhAF rail steel have been carried out. We have established the regularities of non-metallic inclusions distribution over the crystallization zones before and after billets deformation. It was revealed that in crustal zone the main non-metallic inclusions are point oxides, aluminum nitrides, iron silicates (FeO·SiO2) and alumosilicates (Al2O3·SiO2). They were identified in the zone of columnar crystals. In central zone of the billet, manganese sulfides (MnS), manganese silicates (MnO·SiO2), alumosilicates (Al2O3·SiO2), iron silicates (FeO·SiO2), and point oxides were found. It has been determined that concentration and size of nonmetallic inclusions tend to increase from the surface to central zone of continuously cast billets, which is consistent with generally accepted ideas about mechanisms of billet formation during crystallization. The mechanism of deformation of two-phase silicate non-metallic inclusions and their influence on quality of rail products was disclosed. It is shown that inhomogeneous deformability of complex silicate inclusions aggravates their harmful effect on rail products quality. In this case, additional stresses appear in addition to inclusion-matrix deformation and contact stresses existing at interphase boundaries. This pattern also holds for non-deformed silicate inclusions. Such a distribution of inclusions in the billets volume somewhat reduces their negative effect on rails quality, since near-contact layers of the billet undergo more intense deformation during rolling, and as the axial zone of a billet is approached, deformation rate decreases.

Recrystallization and diffusion mechanisms of segregation improvement in cast billets by high temperature reduction pretreatment

Controlling the segregation of alloying elements in steel can improve the uniformity of the structure and properties of the material. High Temperature Reduction Pretreatment (HTRP) is an effective technique to improve the internal quality of steel by generating plastic deformation in the core and providing the recrystallization energy. Comparative analysis was conducted to illustrate the effect of the HTRP on the internal quality of 42CrMo cast billets. To quantitatively analyze the recrystallization and diffusion mechanisms, the tested samples were measured using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Original Position Statistic Distribution Analysis (OPA) and Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA). The results show that the plastic deformation prompts the austenite to recrystallize. As the deformation of the HTRP sample increases, the recrystallized austenite grain size decreases significantly. It is also found that the statistical macro-segregation and micro-segregation ratios of substitutional elements Si, Mn, Cr and Mo decrease. The increase in austenite grain boundaries enables the increase in diffusion coefficient of the solid solution elements, which is the main reason for improving the segregation of the cast billet.

Yield of good steel at metallurgical plants of the world depending on large-dispersed precipitation

The moisture in the environment influences the formation of defects in steel and the yield of suitable metal products. However, no numerical dependence of the yield at a metallurgical enterprise on climatic and weather conditions, in particular, on coarse precipitation, has yet been proposed. A significant difference in the yield of steel grades suitable for various groups is shown on days without atmospheric precipitation, with precipitation and during the day after rain. For low-alloy steels, the yield of a suitable continuously cast billet during periods with precipitation is 11.3% lower than on days without precipitation; for high-alloy grades, this difference reaches 16.5%. Based on the annual reports of metallurgical companies, a database has been formed on the average annual output of suitable metal products at various plants around the world. The quantitative dependence of the yield at the enterprise on the number of days in a year with coarse precipitation (rain, snow) and the uneven distribution of these precipitation over the year has been obtained. Coarse precipitation significantly affects the level of yield of suitable metal products at a metallurgical enterprise. With an increase in the number of days with precipitation per year by one day, the level of waste and sorting at the enterprise increases by 0.087%. The increase in the unevenness of atmospheric precipitation per unit leads to an increase in waste and sorting by 0.822%. If the climatic factor is taken into account when forming a strategy for the development of metallurgy in the country, then it is possible to achieve a greater effect for the development of the economy in comparison with other states that do not take this factor into account.

A validated asymptotic thermomechanical model for air-gap formation in tapered moulds in the continuous casting of steel

Abstract A recent asymptotics-based thermomechanical model is adapted and applied to the mould region in the continuous casting of round steel billets, with a view to describing the complex interplay between air-gap formation, mould taper, cooling channel width and cooling water velocity. Although the situation is steady state, the analysis leads to what is mathematically a dual moving-boundary problem for the solid–melt and solid–air interfaces, where the distance from the top of the mould region is the time-like variable in the problem. Moreover, the two interfaces are initiated at different locations. In addition, the thermal and mechanical problems are found to decouple and it is possible to solve the first ahead of the second. The model equations are solved numerically using a finite-difference method, and the approach is subsequently successfully validated against a previous finite-element model and experimental data from temperature measurements taken within the mould.

Вплив швидкості охолодження при затвердінні безперервнолитої заготовки на характеристики дендритної структури сталі марки ОС

The analysis of the formation process of the cast structure of carbon steel grade ОС (ДСТУ ГОСТ 4728:2014) after the completion of its crystallization with a change in a wide range of metal cooling rate during solidification of a continuously cast billet (ССB) with a diameter of 450 mm has been carried out. The effect of the cooling rate during the solidification of ССB Ø 450 mm on the parameters of the chemical heterogeneity of the distribution of silicon and manganese in the microstructure of carbon steel has been shown. It has been determined that the effect of the metal cooling rate during the solidification of the investigated CCB on the size of dendritic crystals is described by the inversely proportional relationship: у = 423.75 х-0,161. With a change in the cooling rate of the metal during solidification from 106 до 1 °C/min, the size of the dendrites in the direction from the surface to the central layers of the CCB Ø 450 mm increased by ~ 8 times, and the density of the dendritic structure of carbon steel ОС decreases by 65 times. In this case, the nature of its dependence on the intensity of heat removal is the opposite nature of the change in the size of dendrites. It has been established that by varying the cooling rate in the range 1 – 106 °C/min, one can achieve a significant change in the average size and density of dendritic crystals while maintaining the constancy of the volume fraction of segregation areas of silicon and manganese ~ 24% in carbon steel (0.42 – 0.50 % wt. C). It has been determined that in the entire investigated range of cooling rates 1 – 106 °C/min, the coefficients of dendritic segregation КдI and КдII of silicon and manganese change insignificantly and amount to 1.8-1.9 and 1.5 for КдI and КдII, respectively. In this case, the values of the coefficients КдI and КдII for both elements are practically constant in both pearlite and ferrite. It has been proven that both silicon and manganese have high diffusion mobility only at sufficiently high temperatures, when steel is in a solid-liquid state. Based on the results of X-ray microanalysis, it has been established that the heterogeneity of the distribution of chemical elements, which is formed as a result of dendritic segregation of silicon and manganese, is the primary and constant component of the microstructure of carbon steel. Keywords: carbon steel, continuously cast billet, solidification, cooling rate, dendritic structure.

A Study on Hot Tearing in Direct Chill Casting of Al-Mn-Mg Alloys Using a Multi-scale Approach

A multi-scale approach for simulating hot tearing during the DC casting of aluminum alloys is presented. The novelty of this approach lies in the combination of a macro-scale finite element simulation of the DC casting process with direct prediction of hot tears via a meso-scale multi-physics granular model. This approach is capable of simulating hot tearing initiation, growth, and propagation within a representative volume element of the mushy zone. The change of cooling conditions experienced by the DC cast billet as a result of variations in casting speed as well as non-uniformity of heat extraction from different locations of the billet affect the deformation state, cooling rate, and thermal gradient, which further influence the strain rate, grain size, permeability, and feeding coefficient. Considering all the mentioned parameters, the multi-scale approach emphasizes the fact that hot tearing is a phenomenon resulting from the combination of the tensile deformation and restricted feeding of the mushy zone. The developed hot tearing formation maps identify the locations where hot tearing will occur as predicted by the multi-scale approach for two alloys—AA5182 and AA3104—thus demonstrating the approach’s sensitivity to both processing parameters and alloy composition.

New material-saving technologies of pipe rolling on pilgrim units

In this work, based on the analysis of the process of hot pilger rolling of pipes of a wide range of sizes and grades from a round continuous cast billet, new and improved existing metal-saving technologies have been developed to reduce metal losses in the pilger head.Using scientific and patent sources of information in the field of pilger rolling and its mathematical modeling with the calculation of tables for rolling pipes of a wide range of sizes from a round continuous-cast billet with a diameter of 385-470 mm, metal losses into technological scrap on a pilgerstan are determined: a seed and a pilger head.On the basis of the results of the theoretical determination of metal losses in the process scrap on the pilgerstan: the seed and the pilger head, a forecast was made to reduce the weight of the pilger head, which was used to develop new material-saving technologies for pilger rolling of pipes, both thick-walled with D / S = 6 - 12.5, and thin-walled with D / S = 12.5 - 40. Metal losses in the pilger head are the main factor of increased metal consumption coefficients on pilger units, which reduces their competitiveness in comparison with other units when using round continuously cast billets as a starting material.The forecast for the reduction of metal losses in the pilger head made for the first time makes it possible to estimate the reserves for reducing the mass of the pilger head both by eliminating the underflow of the liner and trimming of the pipe end adjacent to the pilger head, and by means of individual parts of its profile part and predicting its decrease to the minimum possible size, ensuring the removal of the pipe from the mandrel using a gate device.To reduce the weight of the pilger head when rolling thick-walled pipes, it is recom-?ended to use improved technologies for butt-end rolling and rolling of the pilger head on the free section of the mandrel.The results of the studies and the proposed new material-saving technologies can be used on pilgrim units when rolling thick-walled (D / S = 6 - 12.5) and thin-walled (D / S = 12.5 - 40) pipes of a wide range of brands (carbon, alloyed, highly alloyed and special) from both continuous casting machine and forged and centrifugally cast billets, as well as ingots.

Microstructure, Electrical and Thermal Conductivity of the As-Extruded Al-xMM (Mischmetal) Based Alloys.

The effect of addition of Mischmetal (MM) on the microstructure, electrical and thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties of the as-extruded Al-MM based alloys were investigated. The studied AlxMM alloys (where x = 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 5.0 wt.%) were cast and homogenized at 550 °C for 4 h. The cast billets were extruded into 12 mm bars with an extrusion ratio of 39 at 550 °C. The addition of MM resulted in the formation of Al11(Ce, La)₃ intermetallic compounds and the area fraction of these intermetallic compounds increased with an increase in the MM content. The Al11(Ce, La)₃ phase, which was distributed in the as-cast alloys, was crushed into fine particles and arrayed along the extruded direction during the extrusion process. In particular, these intermetallic compounds in the extruded Al-5.0MM alloy were distributed with a wide-band structure due to the fragmentation of the eutectic phase with a lamellar structure. As the MM content increased from 1.0 wt.% to 5.0 wt.%, the average grain size decreased remarkably from 740 to 73 μm. This was due to formation of Al11(Ce, La)₃ particles during the hot extrusion process, which promoted dynamic recrystallization and suppression of grain growth. The electrical and thermal conductivity of the extruded alloys containing up to 2.0 wt.% MM were around 60.5% IACS and 230 W/m · K, respectively. However, the electrical and thermal conductivity of the extruded alloy with 5.0 wt.% MM decreased to 55.4% IACS and 206 W/m · K, respectively. As the MM content increased from 1.0 wt.% to 5.0 wt.%, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was improved remarkably from 74 to 119 MPa which was attributed to the grain refinement and formation of Al11(Ce, La)₃ intermetallic compounds by the addition of MM.

Rational Distribution of Surface Cooling Intensity for a Round Continuously-Cast Billet in Secondary Cooling Zone

A method for determining the rational distribution of cooling intensity of a round billet in a SCZ within which the amount of heat removed from the surface of the calculated section of the billet at each instant of time is equal to the sum of the amount of heat released at the solidification front and the amount of heat corresponding to already solidified metal mass cooling at a specified rate, is proposed. The adequacy of the method is verified by prescribing the distribution of the cooling intensity obtained as boundary conditions in a mathematical model of the temperature field of a continuously cast billet. During treatment of the simulated results values of the solidification coefficient are established that within the limits of the permissible error are consistent with the values used as starting data within the framework of the method proposed.

Special Features of the Structure and Properties of Continuously Cast Billet from Steel R6M5

The structure, phase composition and impact toughness of specimens cut from different-thickness regions of a billet with cross section 160 × 160 mm from continuously cast high-speed steel R6M5 are studied. It is shown that the macro- and microstructure, phase composition, and process ductility of the continuously cast high-speed steel R6M5 are substantially higher than those of the steel obtained by traditional casting into molds.

Influence of ultrasound irradiation on transient solidification characteristics in DC casting process: Numerical simulation and experimental verification

It is well known that solidification of molten metals occurs under the influence of transient unsteady phenomena, which are difficult to control in actual casting operation. Examples include buoyancy flows, natural heat convection, repeated remelting and solidification in mushy zone and solid shell at the mold interface. This paper presents the results suggesting that ultrasound waves, irradiated into the hot-top mold offers an attractive way to control the transient phenomena in DC casting of aluminum alloy billets. A novel mathematical model was developed to simulate the DC casting with considering transient melt flow, heat transfer, ultrasound propagation, acoustic streaming and solidification. It was found that ultrasound irradiation alters the solidification behavior of melt and sump evolution especially in the earlier stage of casting, however as the billet length increases, the sump profile becomes almost the same for both the ultrasonic and conventional castings. In this condition, the casting speed becomes the key parameter influencing the sump evolution and mushy zone volume. The results reveal that ultrasound-driven acoustic streaming and turbulent oscillations result in a suppression of buoyancy flow in the sump and lead to an increase of frequency of the melt temperature oscillations at the solidification interface. One of the useful results of these phenomena can be a more frequent repetition of remelting/solidification cycle and improvement of the billet quality, particularly the billet surface morphology. The effect of ultrasound irradiation on the billet morphology was verified experimentally using a pilot DC caster.

Reduction in skull loss in billet caster tundish through water modelling studies

ABSTRACT During continuous casting, some amount of metal is left in the tundish at the end of the casting sequence to avoid slag entrapment into continuous casting mould. This tundish loss often called as skull loss. It reduces the caster yield and is directly related to the size of the tundish. JSW Steel operates with 44 T, 8 strand billet caster tundish which had ~7T tundish loss under previous operational practice. Water modelling studies were carried out using a 0.25 scale model to design a new tundish bottom to reduce tundish skull loss. Three different tundish bottom configurations were studied and the corresponding effect on tundish flow profile and vortex formation was also investigated. Based on water modelling results, the optimized tundish design was used for plant trials. A 47% reduction in skull loss was obtained with no adverse effect on steel cleanliness from different strands.

Effect of Cr/Mn segregation on pearlite—martensite banded structure of high carbon bearing steel

The effect of Cr/Mn segregation on the abnormal banded structure of high carbon bearing steel was studied by reheating and hot rolling. With the use of an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and electron probe microanalyzer, the segregation characteristics of alloying elements in cast billet and their relationship with hot-rolled plate banded structure were revealed. The formation causes of an abnormal banded structure and the elimination methods were analyzed. Results indicate the serious positive segregation of C, Cr, and Mn alloy elements in the billet. Even distribution of Cr/Mn elements could not be achieved after 10 h of heat preservation at 1200°C, and the spacing of the element aggregation area increased, but the segregation index of alloy elements decreased. Obvious alloying element segregation characteristics are present in the banded structure of the hot-rolled plate. This distinct white band is composed of martensitic phases. The formation of this abnormal pearlite—martensite banded structure is due to the interaction between the undercooled austenite transformation behavior of hot-rolled metal and the segregation of its alloying elements. Under the air cooling after rolling, controlling the segregation index of alloy elements can reduce or eliminate the abnormal banded structure.

Influence of the configuration of the submerged entry nozzle inner channel and electromagnetic effect within its length on the qualitative distribution of metal flows during continuous casting of steel

Today, the most promising and effective method of quality control of the continuously cast billets is electromagnetic stirring of the melt. In this case, an important component is the effect of the stirring on the jet in the nozzle. Moreover, as research has shown, this method is highly dependent on the configuration of the inner channel of the nozzle. Research have shown that positive or negative taper of the inner surface of the nozzle allows to obtain different results after applying EMS. Taper control completely changes the pattern of the melt flow and its deceleration in the mold, especially when it is casting of large billets. The results of the research show that minor changes in the taper of the nozzle significantly increase the effect of EMS implementation, which is observed already at 0.27 % of positive the taper and increases to 0.54%.

Heat Transfer Characteristics of Thermoelectric Generator System for Waste Heat Recovery from a Billet Casting Process: Experimental and Numerical Analysis

In this study, experiments were performed to use the waste heat in a billet casting industry utilizing bismuth telluride thermoelectric generators (TEGs). Four d-type absorber plates made of copper were installed above the manufactured billet during the cooling process. Three sides of each absorber plate were attached to thermoelectric units. Therefore, a total of 12 units of the thermoelectric system were found to generate a power of 339 W. The power density of the TEG system was found to be 981 W/m2 while running the system at the operating voltage of the battery energy storage system (58 V). A one-dimensional numerical simulation was carried out using FloMASTERTM v9.1 (Mentor Graphics Corporation, Siemens, Dallas, TX, USA) to verify the experimental results, and the numerical results were found to exhibit good agreement with the experimental results. Furthermore, a one-dimensional numerical simulation was carried out to obtain the heat transfer characteristics at varying flow rates of cold water (Reynolds number = 2540–16,943) and at different inlet temperatures (10–25 °C) for the cold side of the TEG. The results indicate that the performance of the thermoelectric generator increases with an increase in the cold-water flow rate and a decrease in the inlet temperature of the cold water.

Increasing Casting Speed in High Carbon and Micro Alloy DIN EN ISO 16120-2: 2011-C66D Steels

Different parameters can be used together in the continuous casting process known as an important steel production stage in the world. It is important to use metallurgical appropriate parameters to meet the product properties. Many innovations have been made in the continuous casting process from past to present. It is known that studies are carried out on many effective topics such as steel analysis, refractory materials, continuous casting parameters, in order to make the proper solidification that will meet the needs with its continuous casting capabilities. When continuous casting parameters are examined; the casting speed parameter was found to be effective in terms of quality needs in macro samples. Therefore, in this study, the effect of the increase of casting speed parameters on the quality of macro samples was investigated. As a method; in high carbon, micro-alloyed DIN EN ISO 16120-2: 2011-C66D quality steels, in different castings, this parameter was changed and macro samples were taken and evaluated in terms of quality needs. When macro sample quality results are compared; the effect of casting speed was observed. In this study; the effect of the increase in casting speed in continuous billet casting facility on optimum metallographic and physical quality has been investigated and the results have been interpreted.