The Impact of the Production Stages of Grade D Steel on its Contamination and the Chemical Composition of Nonmetallic Inclusions

Optical and electronic microscopy methods are used to evaluate the contamination of grade D carbon steel with nonmetallic inclusions in steel samples taken at various stages of steelmaking (electric arc furnace (EAF) discharge -> ladle furnace (LF) -> vacuum deoxidation (VD) -> continuous casting) at an electric furnace melting shop. Steel contamination with nonmetallic inclusions and inclusion chemical composition are assessed. It is demonstrated that the aluminum deoxidation of the semiproduct leads to the formation of corundum nonmetallic inclusions (Al2O3) in molten steel. The total amount of corundum reaches 52% for all the stages of steelmaking process. The identification and evaluation of nonmetallic inclusions demonstrates that deoxidation performed at all the stages of secondary steelmaking reduce the amount of inclusions. After vacuum deoxidation and adding Al and SiCa, corundum inclusions become globular in shape with a particle size less than 6 urn. When the continuously cast billet has solidified, the total amount of nonmetallic inclusions does not change, whereas silicate inclusion content decreases and corundum contamination grows, with corundum inclusions being of an irregular shape. A heavy corundum contamination is caused by aluminum secondary deoxidation during steel casting as well as by the fact that the molten residue in the pouring nozzle is carried into the solidifying continuously cast billet.