Research status and prospect of direct strip casting manufactured low-carbon microalloyed steel

Direct strip casting (DSC) is one of the cutting-edge technologies for the steel industry in the twenty-first century. Under the background of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, DSC technology has a bright future of applications as it requires less production time and space with reduced energy consumption. Owing to its sub-rapid cooling rate during solidification and low reduction during hot rolling, DSC process exhibits a series of unique physical metallurgy characteristics. The process characteristics of DSC process and the microstructural evolution during the thermomechanical processing of low-carbon microalloyed steel are reviewed. The effects of hot rolling, cooling, coiling temperatures and microalloying elements on the microstructure and mechanical properties are then discussed. Finally, the future development orientations of DSC technology are suggested to fully utilize its unique features for the enhancement of its competitiveness and for the promotion of carbon neutrality of the steel industry.