Strategy to minimise central segregation in high carbon steel grades during billet casting

AbstractCorus R, D&T (formerly British Steel), Teesside Technology Centre together with Scunthorpe Works, ISPAT–Hamburger Stahlwerke, Sidenor I + D and Corus NL (formerly Hoogovens) completed in 2002 an extensive ECSC supported study to evaluate techniques to optimise the central segregation during the continuous casting of high carbon billets. The study included the application of intense secondary cooling, thermal soft reduction, final electromagnetic stirring (EMS), reduced and controlled superheat casting and mechanical soft reduction. In addition, the influence of casting process variables (casting speed, open and submerged pouring etc.) and their interaction with the technologies studied was investigated. From the investigations on the casting machines of the four partners in the project it was possible to recommend an optimum strategy for the minimisation of segregation in the casting of high carbon billets.