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The quality of the as-cast strand is influenced by a recarburization reaction since mould powder contains carbon particles necessary for a controlled melting behaviour. Intensive testing reveals a carbon pickup in the surface of the as-cast strand depending on content and type of the carbon in the mould powder. Using the combination of laboratory trials and numerical simulations the effect of carbon pickup from mould powder to the strand shell was investigated. Laboratory experiments show that the recarburization of the liquid steel through the mould powder can be explained by Marangoni convection. This can happen in the slag rim when the carbon is entrapped by the solidifying steel and starts to diffuse inwards the strand.

The desulphurisation of liquid steels with a refining ladle top slag is one of the most important processes of secondary metallurgy. But the process control is even now based on empirical rules. Deviations from the sulphur contents aimed at can often be observed in practice. An improvement of the process control supported by knowledge of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the desulphurisation reaction is of great importance, especially for the production of steels with very low sulphur contents. To investigate the removal of sulphur, operational trials were carried out in 185 t steel ladles. In the trials the stirring gas flow rate, the pressure on the bath surface and the steel composition were varied as process parameters. The obtained results show that ladle slags saturated with lime have a high sulphide capacity. The desulphurisation rate of steel melts increases if the specific stirring energy is enhanced by increasing the gas flow rate or reducing the pressure on the bath surface. In the case of production of Al/Si-killed steel melts, a desulphurisation degree above 90 % can be obtained by a vacuum treatment within 10 minutes.