CHAPTER 3 - WIDTH CHANGE BY ROLLING AND PRESSING- Slab Sizing Mills CHAPTER 4 - METALLURGICAL DEFECTS IN CAST SLABS AND

HOT ROLLED .. PRODUCTS .

CLASSIFICATION OF DEFECTS IN CAST SLABS Defects in cast slabs can be divided into the following four main groups by :
1. 2. 3. 4.

Internal defects External cracks Surface defects Shape defects.

1. Internal Defects in Slabs

The internal defects usually include segregation, non-metallic inclusions, and various types of cracks. Segregation Segregation is a concentration of dissolved impurities in that portion of the metal which solidifies last. The dendrites which form are almost pure metal, and therefore the impurities become progressively more concentrated in the remaining liquid. Non-metallic inclusions Non-metallic inclusions are the oxidized materials and sulfides in various combinations with each other. They are a result of oxidizing reactions which take place during refining process; they can also be associated with the erosion of ladle or other refractories.

A more detailed definition of internal defects is given in Table 1.

2. EXTERNAL CRACKS IN SLABS

Cracks or ruptures in slabs may be caused by a number of reasons such as the following:

Restriction to the ingot skin during cooling Inability of the skin to withstand the stresses resulting from ferrostatic pressure exerted by the liquid steel:
oA oA oA

too high teeming temperature too high teeming rate too high mold temperature entering the mold towards one side instead of the center. mold design

o Steel

o Inadequate o Distortion o Fast o Fast

or wear of the mold

or uneven cooling in the mold or uneven secondary cooling of different faces of the slabs or straightening of the slab at a low temperature.

o Bending

A brief description of the most common types of external cracks in slabs is shown in Table 2. Not included in the table is the slab defect known as hot shortness that is defined below. Hot shortness - This is a localized cracking normally associated with concentration of copper and tin in the grain boundaries.

3. Surface Defects in Slabs

Continuously cast slab may have surface defects which are attributed to the certain specifics of the casting process. The most typical surface defects of this type are listed in Table 3. In addition, the following surface defects may be found in the slabs. Guide marks - This is a mechanical damage arising from irregularities on the guides, support, bending or straightening rolls. The guide marks can also be caused by extraneous metal adhering to the parts of the guiding mechanism. Carburization - This is a localized surface pick-up of carbon from oil lubrication. It is encountered especially in the casting of low-carbon stainless-steel grades. Splash - It is a generally spattered surface caused by small particles of metal trapped between the product skin and mold wall. Entrapped scum - These are the patches on the ingot or slab surfaces. They are formed by the products of deoxidation or refractory erosion that are trapped at the meniscus.