Process metallurgy for ladle-tundish-mould operations

摘要

Considerable efforts have been made in academia and industry over the last three decades to fully exploit and enhance the metallurgical performance of reactors involved in continuous casting operations. The development of Ladle Metallurgy, Tundish Metallurgy, and the control of transport phenomena within the moulds of continuous casters, has contributed enormously to the improved quality of steel during that time. These advances have been made in terms of better control of steel chemistry through improved alloying techniques, reduced metalloids, (S,P,O,N,C,H), as well as better control of inclusion distributions in terms of size, frequency, composition and morphology. It is shown that mathematical and physical modeling have and continue, to contribute greatly to our understanding and control of these phenomena. The paper also makes the case that the manifold variations in shop practices and procedures inevitably lead to transient conditions during actual continuous casting operations. These need to be studied and monitored carefully, in order to achieve consistent, high quality product. The use of full scale water models of moulds and tundishes, vis a vis, smaller scale models, and/or mathematical models, can be very helpful in quantifying such transient excursions.