A mold simulator for continuous casting of steel: Part II. The formation of oscillation marks during the continuous casting of low carbon steel

The restrictions on quality for low carbon continuously cast slab products require that surface defects be kept to a minimum. Currently, the steel industry has developed a wealth of experience on how to apply slabs with oscillation marks to very demanding applications. However, these practices circumvent the problem, rather than solving it. By understanding the formation mechanism of oscillation marks, one can then develop casting practices that can minimize their effect on slab surface quality. The techniques developed in this study allowed a more detailed examination of the mold heat-transfer interactions during continuous casting, such that the variations of heat flux due to irregular solidification near the meniscus could be measured. It is shown that the mechanisms proposed in the literature are not individually sufficient for the formation of an oscillation mark, but that several are necessary and must occur in sequence for an oscillation mark to form. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of oscillation marks that is shown to be in agreement with the trends observed and reported in the literature. Additionally, it is shown that the success of practices used in industry to reduce the severity of oscillation marks can be explained using this proposed hypothesis. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]