Effect of Different Casting Parameters on the Cleanliness of High Manganese Steel Ingots Compared to High Carbon Steel

The increasing demand for excellent steel properties has led to the creation of new steel grades such as high manganese TWIP and TRIP steels which are scientifically examined in Germany within the international research framework of the SFB 761 “Steel-ab initio.” The production of these high-technology products, utilizing mainly the ingot-casting method, leads to new challenges in the prevention of cast defects. At RWTH Aachen University, a systematic investigation of the solidification process as it relates to shrinkage cavity, macrosegregation, cleanliness, and surface imperfections in as-cast ingots is being conducted. A particular attention was devoted to the effects of such casting parameters as superheat, pouring rate, hot top, and stirring conditions on the solidification and cleanliness of low carbon alloyed and high manganese alloyed steels. The experimental results show that rising manganese content leads to a higher amount and larger size of inclusions while rising carbon content enhances the inclusion generation in the same way. It was found that a bottom teeming system combined with an inert gas atmosphere produces the best quality and that if casting is performed with a runner-system, it is important to use a SiO₂-free refractory to avoid oxidizing the Mn content of the melt to MnO inclusions by redox-reactions.