Modeling of inclusion formation during the solidification of steel

Abstract

A thermodynamic model coupling microsegregation and inclusion formation using one ChemSage data-file is proposed. The thermodynamic equilibrium is calculated using ChemApp to determine the liquidus temperature, solute partition coefficients at the solidification interface and inclusion formation in the residual liquid. During the calculations, solute enrichment is predicted using Ohnaka's model. The logarithm of the coupling microsegregation and inclusion formation is tested through an overall mass balance. With the proposed model, inclusion formation is predicted for the case of medium carbon steels alloyed with titanium and aluminum. The predicted types and compositions of inclusions agree well with the experimental results. Based on the predictions and measurements, the inclusion behavior during solidification is discussed.