Industrial Experimental Investigation on Characteristics of Hook and Subsurface Inclusions in Ultra-Low Carbon Steel Continuously Cast Slab
摘要
This study reveals the distribution characteristics of hooks and inclusions in ultra-low carbon steel slabs and explores the influence of different casting parameters on hook depth and the distribution of surface inclusions through a series of industrial experiments. The results indicated that the hook depth was greater in the low-temperature regions near the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) and the corners of the mold compared to other areas. Additionally, the inclusion number density in the surface layer near the SEN was significantly higher than in other areas. Increasing the casting temperature and casting speed, reducing the mold water flow rate, and applying electromagnetic stirring (EMS) all contributed to reducing the hook depth. Notably, the application of EMS led to a more uniform distribution of hook depth around the slab and effectively reduced the difference in hook depth between the low-temperature and high-temperature areas in the mold. At a depth of 0.5 mm from the slab surface, the adjustments in these process parameters have little effect on the size distribution of inclusions. However, increasing the casting temperature, reducing the mold water flow rate, and applying EMS significantly reduced the overall number density of inclusions within 2.5 mm of the slab surface, as well as the number density of inclusions larger than 10 μm. When the casting speed increased from 1.0 m/min to 1.6 m/min, the overall number density of inclusions decreased significantly. However, when the casting speed increased from 1.4 m/min to 1.6 m/min, the number density of inclusions larger than 10 μm showed no significant change.