Surface cracking mechanism of continuously cast low carbon low alloy steel slabs

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Abstract
The present state of understanding of surface cracking in low C low alloy steel slabs in the continuous casting (CC) and direct rolling (DR) processes is outlined. Hot cracking of the CC slab surface can be explained in terms of carbide and/or nitride precipitation behaviour. In addition to γ grain boundary precipitation, the matrix strengthening owing to dynamic precipitation and the existence of softer layers along the boundaries such as grain boundary allotriomorphs of ferrite or precipitate free zones play animportant role in intergranular ductile fracture. The origin of hot cracking during the DR process lies also in the precipitation of carbides and/or nitrides, and is not related to the severe embrittlement caused by a similar mechanism with dynamic precipitation of sulphides, which is observed usually in the high strain rate deformation after reheating at higher temperatures. Furthermore, a well known effect of C on hot cracking susceptibility in both CC and DR processes, attaining a maximum in the range 0·10–0·15 wt.–%C, is found to arise mainly from γ grain growth during solidification in the mould. Some methods to prevent surface cracking are also discussed. MST/1226