Effect of Deoxidizing and Alloying Routes on the Evolution of Non-Metallic Inclusions in 55SiCr Spring Steel
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Evolution of Inclusions in Scheme A
3.2. Evolution of Inclusions in Scheme B
4. Discussion
4.1. Evolution Mechanism of Inclusions
4.2. Solubility Limits of MgO in Molten Steel
5. Conclusions
- (1)
- The process of adding a Si-Ca-Ba deoxidizer after alloying (scheme B) is favorable for controlling the morphology, size, and other properties of inclusions in spring steel.
- (2)
- In scheme A with the addition of deoxidizer before alloying, the observed inclusions in the steel are irregular and large in size, with some even over 5 μm in length. In scheme B with alloying first, the inclusions are spherical and relatively small in size, mostly smaller than 3 μm in diameter.
- (3)
- The evolution path of the inclusions during the steel refining process in scheme A is Fe-O→CaO-Al2O3(-SiO2) and CaO-Al2O3-MgO, which is much different from MnO-SiO2-Al2O3→CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 and CaO-Al2O3-MgO, as observed in scheme B. In addition, the CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-type inclusions from scheme B are in a low melting point and are deformable during hot rolling, which will be beneficial to an improved fatigue resistance for the final spring products.
- (4)
- The observed Al2O3 in the inclusions under the two schemes are all related to the residual Al from alloys and deoxidizers. To avoid harmful inclusions with high Al2O3 or MgO content, it is essential to use alloys and deoxidizers with a minimum Al content in advance, and/or to select scheme B when refining the steel.
- (5)
- The MgO in inclusions originate from refractory. The maximum solubility limit of Mg in molten steel is around 10 ppm. The maximum solubility limit of MgO in liquid inclusions is 6 ppm. When beyond this value, it will exist in the steel in the form of calcite.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Element | C | Si | Mn | Cr | P | S | Ca | Ba | Al | Fe |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring steel | 0.51~0.59 | 1.2~1.6 | 0.5~0.8 | 0.5~0.8 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.020 | - | - | - | Other |
Si-Ca-Ba deoxidizer | - | 50.9 | - | - | - | - | 31.5 | 11.2 | 0.05 | Other |
Scheme | Pure Iron | Ferrosilicon | Ferromanganese | Ferrochrome | Carbon Powder |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 400 | 6.9 | 3.6 | 5.5 | 2.3 |
B | 392 | 6.9 | 3.5 | 5.4 | 2.2 |
Composition | C | Si | Mn | Cr | O |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A-S4 | 0.54 | 1.24 | 0.68 | 0.78 | 0.0020 |
B-S4 | 0.54 | 1.30 | 0.69 | 0.79 | 0.0019 |
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Liu, J.; Tang, H.; Guo, L.; Zhang, J. Effect of Deoxidizing and Alloying Routes on the Evolution of Non-Metallic Inclusions in 55SiCr Spring Steel. Metals 2022, 12, 1531. https://doi.org/10.3390/met12091531
Liu J, Tang H, Guo L, Zhang J. Effect of Deoxidizing and Alloying Routes on the Evolution of Non-Metallic Inclusions in 55SiCr Spring Steel. Metals. 2022; 12(9):1531. https://doi.org/10.3390/met12091531
Chicago/Turabian StyleLiu, Jinwen, Haiyan Tang, Luzhao Guo, and Jiaquan Zhang. 2022. "Effect of Deoxidizing and Alloying Routes on the Evolution of Non-Metallic Inclusions in 55SiCr Spring Steel" Metals 12, no. 9: 1531. https://doi.org/10.3390/met12091531