High-Efficiency and High-Quality Continuous Casting Processes

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Manufacturing Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 January 2023) | Viewed by 12501

Special Issue Editors

School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: continuous casting; high casting speed; high quality control; transfer behavior; solidification; numerical simulation; mold flux; secondary cooling

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor
College of Metallurgy and Energy, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, China
Interests: continuous casting; inclusion; oxide metallurgy; high heat input welding; steelmaking; refining

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A new Special Issue, entitled "High-Efficiency and High-Quality Continuous Casting", is planned for publication in the journal "Processes". The focus of this issue is the theoretical and trial investigation of the steel continuous casting process, including high-quality steel casting, high-cleanliness casting, high-speed casting, continuous casting and direct rolling, near-shape continuous casting, and/or special casting for highly alloyed steel. Topics in this field relevant to our Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Flow behavior in ladles and tundishes;
  2. Heat, momentum and mass transfer in a steel matrix from the SEN to crater end, as well as the electromagnetic field and reduction force;
  3. SEN geometry evaluation and clogging;
  4. Reaction between steel and slag, and development of mold flux;
  5. Design and testing of high-efficiency spraying systems in secondary zones;
  6. Steel solidification process and structure evolution;
  7. Microstructure and properties of the casting product;
  8. Defect control and improvement;
  9. Modeling and operating techniques;
  10. Trial testing and industrial engineering;
  11. Big Data approach for process analysis and control;
  12. Artificial intelligence and expert systems.

Dr. Peng Lan
Guest Editor

Dr. Ligen Sun
Assistant Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • continuous casting
  • high casting speed
  • high-quality control
  • transfer behavior
  • solidification
  • numerical simulation
  • mold flux
  • secondary cooling

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 15458 KiB  
Article
Finite Element Analysis on Inclusion Migration during Hot-Rolling Process of Ultralow Carbon Steel
by Yanbin Yin and Jiongming Zhang
Processes 2023, 11(3), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030934 - 18 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1183
Abstract
Slivers on the surface of rolled plates, which are serious defects for interstitial-free (IF) steel, occur mainly as a result of inclusions in continuous casting (CC) slabs. It is, therefore, important to study inclusions in CC slabs in terms of their migration towards [...] Read more.
Slivers on the surface of rolled plates, which are serious defects for interstitial-free (IF) steel, occur mainly as a result of inclusions in continuous casting (CC) slabs. It is, therefore, important to study inclusions in CC slabs in terms of their migration towards the surface during hot rolling. To investigate inclusion migration during the hot rolling of ultralow carbon steel, a 3D numerical model was constructed using the finite element method. The positions of the inclusions in the surface layer of an IF steel slab (50 mm) were tracked during hot rolling using a node-tracking method. Furthermore, the study analyzed the effects of scarfing on inclusion migration during hot rolling and inclusion distribution in a hot-rolled plate. During the hot-rolling process, inclusions in the wide faces of the intermediate slab gradually migrated to the surface of the intermediate slab. Owing to a thickness reduction, accumulation areas of inclusions were finally generated at the edge of the hot-rolled plate; these areas may lead to sliver defects. The scarfing of the slab did not affect the distribution of inclusions in the hot-rolled plate; however, it may have reduced the inclusion content in the outermost layers of the hot-rolled plate. The inclusions were mainly located within 1 mm underneath the hot-rolled plate. Moreover, the inclusions near the inner arc of the CC slab were concentrated within 1.5 mm of the upper plate surface. Using galvanostatic electrolysis, the number of large inclusions in samples prepared from a hot-rolled plate obtained from a plant was measured. The measurements agreed well with the numerical model predictions, which validated the FE model in the current work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Efficiency and High-Quality Continuous Casting Processes)
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34 pages, 10872 KiB  
Article
Modeling of Multiphase Flow, Superheat Dissipation, Particle Transport, and Capture in a Vertical and Bending Continuous Caster
by Mingyi Liang, Seong-Mook Cho, Xiaoming Ruan and Brian G. Thomas
Processes 2022, 10(7), 1429; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10071429 - 21 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
A new model of particle entrapment during continuous casting of steel is presented, which includes the effects of multiphase flow from argon gas injection and thermal buoyancy from superheat in the strand. The model simulates three different capture mechanisms, including capture by solidified [...] Read more.
A new model of particle entrapment during continuous casting of steel is presented, which includes the effects of multiphase flow from argon gas injection and thermal buoyancy from superheat in the strand. The model simulates three different capture mechanisms, including capture by solidified hooks at the meniscus, entrapment between dendrites, and engulfment by the surrounding of large particles. The fluid flow and bubble capture results are validated with plant measurements, including nail board dipping tests and ultrasonic tests, respectively, and good agreement is seen. Results suggest that the superheat has a negligible effect on the flow in the mold region. However, higher (30 K) superheat causes a more complex flow in the lower strand by creating multiple recirculation zones due to the thermal buoyancy effects. This causes less penetration deep into the strand, which leads to fewer and shallower particle captures. Lower (10 K) superheat may enable significant top surface freezing, leading to very large internal defect clusters. Lower superheat also leads to deeper meniscus hooks, which sometimes (0.003%) capture large (1 mm) bubbles. Capture bands occur near the transition line from vertical to curved, due to the downward fluid velocity balancing the particle terminal velocity, enabling capture in the relative stagnation region beneath the longitudinal recirculation zone. These findings agree with plant observations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Efficiency and High-Quality Continuous Casting Processes)
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17 pages, 11303 KiB  
Article
Study on Multiphase Flow in a Wide-Width Continuous Casting Mold
by Lei Ren, Wenxiang Liu, Haitao Ling and Jichun Yang
Processes 2022, 10(7), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10071269 - 27 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1173
Abstract
The multiphase flow in the mold has a significant impact on the surface quality of the slab. In this paper, the multiphase flow in the mold is studied by establishing a one-quarter scale water mold, with the aid of a high-speed camera and [...] Read more.
The multiphase flow in the mold has a significant impact on the surface quality of the slab. In this paper, the multiphase flow in the mold is studied by establishing a one-quarter scale water mold, with the aid of a high-speed camera and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The oil phase will make the liquid surface velocity around the nozzle smaller. The greater the viscosity of the oil, the greater the critical water model casting speed and the shallower the critical immersion depth of submerged entry nozzle (SEN). Blowing will enhance the turbulence of the flow field in the mold and have a suppressing effect on the surface velocity. However, the vertical velocity of the narrow surface does not change significantly. The randomness of the bubble entering the mold from the nozzle can easily cause asymmetry of the instantaneous flow. The number of bubbles with a diameter less than 1 mm increase with the increase in gas flow rate. The larger the bubble size, the more buoyant around the nozzle when it escapes. The larger the diameter of bubble, the closer the vortex center of the upper circulation is to the nozzle and the closer the center of the lower circulation is to the narrow surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Efficiency and High-Quality Continuous Casting Processes)
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11 pages, 5248 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Formation Mechanism of Surface Cracks of Continuous Casting Slabs Caused by Mold Wear
by Jingyi Zhou, Liguang Zhu, Ligen Sun, Bo Wang and Pengcheng Xiao
Processes 2022, 10(4), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10040797 - 18 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2241
Abstract
Surface cracks are easily produced after friction between continuous casting billets and copper layers in mold cavity, but the formation mechanism is not clear. Based on a steel-based hot-dip copper plating experiment, this study simulated the action behavior of copper adhering to the [...] Read more.
Surface cracks are easily produced after friction between continuous casting billets and copper layers in mold cavity, but the formation mechanism is not clear. Based on a steel-based hot-dip copper plating experiment, this study simulated the action behavior of copper adhering to the surface of a continuous casting billet after mold wear and systematically analyzed the formation mechanism of cracks caused by copper infiltration on the surface of the continuous casting billet. It is shown that when the copper liquid adheres to the surface of the slab, in addition to the diffusion of Cu in the steel, Fe is also dissolved in the copper liquid, accelerating the solidification of the copper liquid on the surface of the slab and forming a stable fusion combination between copper and steel. At the same time, due to the enrichment of the Fe-C phase and a large number of vacancies at the grain boundary, the grain boundary becomes the dominant area of copper–steel fusion bonding. For a continuous casting process in which the temperature is kept higher than 900 ℃, Cu’s solubility is high and the diffusion coefficient is very low in Fe, which makes it very difficult for Cu accumulated in the grain boundary to diffuse into the steel matrix during the continuous casting process, resulting in a grain boundary with a greatly weakened strength becoming the origin of cracks in the bending and straightening deformation of the billet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Efficiency and High-Quality Continuous Casting Processes)
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17 pages, 15367 KiB  
Article
Effect of Mold Electromagnetic Stirring on the Flow and Solidification of Φ 800 mm Round Blooms
by Tao Wang, Lianwang Zhang, Hongjian Wu, Xiaobing Zhang, Yukai Jin, Peiqi Yang and Changjun Xu
Processes 2022, 10(2), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10020430 - 21 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1988
Abstract
Knowing the effect of electromagnetic force on fluid flow and solidification within the molds of large-size round blooms is of paramount importance to minimize internal and external defects. In this regard, a three-dimensional coupling model is established, containing magnetohydrodynamics, fluid flow, and heat [...] Read more.
Knowing the effect of electromagnetic force on fluid flow and solidification within the molds of large-size round blooms is of paramount importance to minimize internal and external defects. In this regard, a three-dimensional coupling model is established, containing magnetohydrodynamics, fluid flow, and heat transfer within the mold, and a new approach for the uniformity of the initial shell is presented. Meanwhile, the effect of stirring parameters on fluid flow and solidification is discussed. The results show that M-EMS can significantly change the temperature and velocity distribution within the mold. These changes can stabilize the level fluctuations and make the initial shell uniform. The maximum industrial height fluctuation was reduced from 1.9 mm to 1.3 mm when the stirring intensity was 375 A/3 Hz. The stirring intensity of M-EMS is relatively ideal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Efficiency and High-Quality Continuous Casting Processes)
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10 pages, 5843 KiB  
Article
Industrial Application of Mechanical Reduction on Continuous Casting of Bearing Steel Bloom
by Xinghua Chen, Wei Deng and Shuai Niu
Processes 2021, 9(12), 2280; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9122280 - 20 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2837
Abstract
Industrial experiments of mechanical soft reduction in continuous casting were conducted in the present study aiming to improve the internal quality of the bearing steel blooms. Two methods were developed to verify the solidification model for a reliable crater end in the caster, [...] Read more.
Industrial experiments of mechanical soft reduction in continuous casting were conducted in the present study aiming to improve the internal quality of the bearing steel blooms. Two methods were developed to verify the solidification model for a reliable crater end in the caster, which is provided by SMS CONCAST. The verified solidification model was applied to determine the solidification status of the bloom and provides theoretical reduction region. Several trials were conducted to study the optimization of the reduction rate regarding the V-shaped and centerline segregation of the bloom. The results show an obvious improvement of internal quality in the bearing steel bloom by applying appropriate reduction during casting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Efficiency and High-Quality Continuous Casting Processes)
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