Effect of steel composition and slag properties on NMI in clean steel production

Abstract

The modern steel plants for clean steel production depend to large extent on the efficiency of the refining processes that applied for the production. Refining processes that applied for low alloy and alloyed steel production include degassing via vacuum or ladle and ladle furnace units. This technique could help in producing homogeneous steel with low gas content and minimum internal defects. In certain grades of steel for tools and penetration and impact resistance uses, non-metallic inclusions (NMI) and sulphur content are the key factors for the steel performance and applications. ESR, Electro-salg refining (or remelting), is the technique that can efficiently produce clean steel with minimum content of NMI and sulphur due to the special nature and mechanism of this technique. In this study, the effect of initial chemical composition of steel and slag properties on the efficiency of ESR process in removal of NMI and sulphur from steel are evaluated. Different grades of steels were refined using ESR process. The efficiency of ESR in modifying and enhancing NMI shape, size and counts as well as removal of sulphur in different steel grades was evaluated at different slag composition and physical properties. The effect of chemical composition of steel on the efficiency of ESR process was studied. It was found that ESR process has a great effect in producing clean steel where both viscosity and initial composition of steel have influence on the final NMI status and sulphur content in the produced steel.