Analysis of the non-uniform thermal behavior in slab continuous casting mold based on the inverse finite-element model

•A full finite-element model of mold had been built to reveal the real thermal behavior in mold.•An inverse algorithm was applied to obtain the real heat flux distributions in mold.•The nickel layer was taken into account and the arc-shaped water slots were also considered.•The distribution of temperature in four copper plates showed non-uniform characters. A full finite-element model of a mold, including four copper plates, nickel layer and water slots of different depths, was developed to reveal the complex thermal behavior of molds in slab continuous casting. An inverse algorithm was applied to calculate the heat flux and combined with the temperatures measured using thermocouples that were buried in different positions of the mold. The temperature distributions of the four copper plates are not symmetric, reflecting the non-uniform nature of heat transfer and the necessity of building a full model. The maximum hot surface temperature of the mold occurs in the region 70–100mm below the meniscus. At heights 100mm below the meniscus, the average temperature of the deep water slot root is higher than that of the shallow water slot by approximately 10°C. In the off-corner regions, the hot surface temperature differences between the narrow face and wide face near the corners are approximately 20–30°C 100mm below the meniscus. It will provide a helpful tool for further improving the casting parameters and operations.