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Continuous Casting Technology

A Transformation Process through Heat Exchange Dynamics

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Mission

The Operators of Caster has to be as the Plane Pilot , ensuring a success of take off is the same as ensuring a good start casting.

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World Trend Continuous Casting

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Evolution of World Steel Production

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History of Continuous Casting

CC was a new technology adopted since 50s Main advantages over the traditional steel complexes on yield, cost and quality Billet Industry was born in the 60s under Minimill Concept ( Scrap-EAFCC) in Germany by Gerry Heffemann Continuously transform from low quality product in to SBQ ( special bar quality) up to High value grades

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First Billet Caster Invented in 1885

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Different Systems

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Caster Types

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Casting Sections

Bloom Thin Slab

Beam Blank

Billet

Slab

Round

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Machine Components
Ladle Tundish Mold First Apron Widrawal

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Ladle
Regarding the ladle, it traditionally has been employed as a transfer vessel, moving heats of steel weighing 20 to 350 tonnes from the steelmaking furnace to the continuous casting machine. However,increasingly the ladle is being used as a reactor in ladle furnaces or ladle-treatment stations,installed between the steelmaking furnace and the caster. In transferring steel from the steelmaking furnace to the caster, a major problem is oxygen absorption from the air, furnace slag and the ladle refractory lining.
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Tundish
The functions of the tundish are manifold. However, key features of a well-designed tundish can be identified as follows: a) Inclusion float-out should be maximized. b) The residence time of steel flowing to each of the strands must be the same to ensure uniformity of steel quality. c)The flow pattern in the tundish should permit much of the steel to move close to the surface where inclusions floating out can be absorbed by the tundish slag. d) Dead volume should be minimized because it effectively reduces the residence time of the steel. e) Turbulence from the incoming ladle stream should be isolated, particularly when open-stream pouring from tundish to mold f) The depth of the tundish must be sufficient, in excess of about 500 mm, to prevent vortexing at the nozzle wells, which can draw the slag lower down into the mold pool.

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Tundish Types

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FeO + MnO VS Basicity

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Total Oxygen as F( flux )

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Tundish Weirs

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Tundish Refractory

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Nitrogen & Oxygen Pick Up at Ladle Change

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Flow Control

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H Type Tundish

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Mold
The mold is the heart of the caster; it is the primary heat-extraction device whose functions are to extract superheat from the liquid steel, to grow a solid shell of sufficient thickness, to contain the liquid pool below the mold without breakouts and to support the shell during its initial growth. The design and operation of the mold, which governs heat extraction, profoundly affects surface and internal quality.

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Mold Scheme
Molds are made of Copper with alloys Molds need Phosporous and Silver alloy otherwise are proun for distortion For cost benefit they adding Chrome or Zirconium which had Phos alloys
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Mold Sumitomo/Slab

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Mechanical Distortion of the Mold

In a Billet Mold the mechanical distortion is very high at the meniscus level However the highest heat transfer is taking place at the meniscus due to pirolization of oil lubrication which creates an Hidrogen gas that reduces the air gap resistance to heat transfer

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Heat Transfer
Mold Heat Extraction in the mold depends on temperature, steel composition and shell ticknness. To transfer heat in the mold it faces several barriers , such as, cooper mold, water flow and air gap 84% of the resistance is taking by air gap whereas the others is only 16% that explains the cooper mold effectivenness

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Heat Flux Removal as F ( Vc)

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Reactions taking place in Molds

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Solidification in Mold
Depending on Carbon content is the shell thickness at the exit of the Mold Low Carbon steel will have 10 mm only HC Steel will have 18 mm only Low Carbon steel are more proun to BOs and casting defects Therefore GOOD LUBRICATION is a must!!

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Solidification Strand

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How Oscillation Mark is formed?

Oscillation Marks are formed due to negative strip time moment Negative strip is the time that the speed of the mold is higher than the casting speed in the downwards movement. By the effect of this moment is how the shell is growing gradually in combination with:
High heat transfer Good lubrication due to oil evaporation Hidrogen atmosfere which helps in faster solidification

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Oscillation Mark with Mold Movement

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Oscillation Mark Formation

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Billet Oscillation Mark

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Research-Recommended Mold Characteristics for Billet Casting Machines

Copper grade DHP, silver-bearing Cu, Cr-Zr Taper Double or multiple Minimum wall thickness (mm) 13 for smaller billets (i.e. 100150 mm sq.) (from Ref. 30), 20 for larger billets (i.e., 200 mm sq.) Inside corner radius (mm) 34 Meniscus level (mm) 100150 Water velocity (m/s) > 1011 Mold tube support Four sides near top or top/bottom Negative-strip time (s) 0.120.15 (from Ref. 26) Mold lead (mm) 34 Water quality, e.g. total hardness < 5 ppm, no deposits on mold tubes Cooling water channel width (mm) 35 Measure internal mold dimensions Yes

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Cast Structure- Factor of Influence

a) superheat of the steel, b) steel composition, c) fluid flow in the liquid pool, d) section size, and e) machine design (curved vs. straight machines)

Objective : Is to maximize an equiaxed structure which is more crack-resistant and promotes reduced macrosegregation.
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Columnar Structure ( Macroecht)

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Mechanical Stresses
Sticking in the Mold due to improper lubrication Bad Oscillation condition Excessive taper Worn out Mold

Axial tensile stresses that are concentrated locally in the weak region of the shell such as oscillation marks causing transverse depressions and transverse cracks
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Spray Cooling

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Primary & Secondary Cooling

From the Mold up to Spray Zone is a radical change Main Objective of Mold Cooling is the formation of uniform shell enough to contain liquid pool Heat Extraction in the Mold accounts for 60% in the first 100 mm Heat Extraction in the spray zone is a function of Flow an Pressure that should be strong enough to break the steam layer at the billet surface Due to poor heat transfer of the steel the first zone is a key for the billet geometry

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Frictions in the Mold prior to BO

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How BO start happening?

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6 Steps prior BO happen

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Heat Transfer Before BO

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Types of Sticker BOs

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Operative Issues NH

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Contd

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Operation Issues , CIL

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Contd

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Operation Issues CIL

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Water Quality at CIL

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Operative Issues on New Grades at TR

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Operation Issues at NewCastle SA

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