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In the present work, we take the influences of activated slip systems and the orientation spread into account to predict the cup height using analytical earing models and compare the predicted results with experimental results. The effect of boundary conditions of the various stress states and the work hardening exponents are compared and discussed for profile of single crystals. A stress ratio of -0.3 and a hardening exponent of 0.3 are selected for the prediction of earing profiles. The combination of activation of the single slip systems and orientation spread provides the best prediction of deep-drawing profiles. With further consideration of the orientation spread, an increase in the total orientation leads to peak-broadening, i.e., broad and smooth ears. Furthermore, the difference of the height between the maximum and minimum value of cup profiles is reduced because of the orientation spread. The profile for C is found with single ear at 45°, while the other components individually reveal double ears at 35° and 50° for S, at 15° and 45° for B, at 0° and 90° for Cube, at 5° and 90° for r-Cube, and at 15° and 90° for G. Herein, simple analytical earing models are proposed to understand the effects of slip systems and the orientation spread. The deep-drawing profiles are predicted with six major texture components.

Surface defects are a common issue that affects product quality in the industrial manufacturing process. Many companies put a lot of effort into developing automated inspection systems to handle this issue. In this work, we propose a novel deep learning-based surface defect inspection system called the forceful steel defect detector (FDD), especially for steel surface defect detection. Our model adopts the state-of-the-art cascade R-CNN as the baseline architecture and improves it with the deformable convolution and the deformable RoI pooling to adapt to the geometric shape of defects. Besides, our model adopts the guided anchoring region proposal to generate bounding boxes with higher accuracies. Moreover, to enrich the point of view of input images, we propose the random scaling and the ultimate scaling techniques in the training and inference process, respectively. The experimental studies on the Severstal steel dataset, NEU steel dataset, and DAGM dataset demonstrate that our proposed model effectively improved the detection accuracy in terms of the average recall (AR) and the mean average precision (mAP) compared to state-of-the-art defect detection methods. We expect our innovation to accelerate the automation of industrial manufacturing process by increasing the productivity and by sustaining high product qualities., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

The actual process of using a resin to glue can optimize many shortcomings in the basic traditional process of welding a motor core. For example, the use of a resin for gluing can lead to a reduction in iron loss, improve rigidity, reduce processing times, and improve product quality. When using a gluing method, the biggest challenge is the distribution of the resin; therefore, resin distribution is very much important. This experiment used fine mesh nets to eventually improve the unbalanced state of resin distribution. In this research, in order to predict real flow behavior during gluing, computer-aided engineering was used for computer simulation. The results of the simulation showed that the illustrated trend of the filling process was very much similar to the actual experimental results. The simulation results could mostly predict defects and make effective improvements, which can lead to a significant reduction in the money and time spent on experiments. The simulation results of the dipping process also showed that the distribution of resin with fine mesh nets was more even than without fine mesh nets. Fine mesh nets can eventually improve an over-flow problem, which, ultimately, causes bumps. In this research, a simulation analysis of the gluing process of a motor core with fine mesh nets was conducted, and the results show that the resin distribution and the flow front of the runner were more even than those without fine mesh nets.

With recent increases in environmental awareness, the circular economy concept, which involves turning waste into usable products, has gradually become widely accepted. Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is an agricultural waste that lacks recycling channels in Taiwan. This study explored the feasibility of simultaneously recycling two completely different types of waste: spent mushroom substrate (SMS), an agricultural waste, and electric-arc furnace dust (EAFD), an industrial waste. Specifically, SMS was used to replace metallurgical coke as a reducing agent for EAFD, which underwent carbothermic reduction to recycle valuable metallic Zn. The results showed that if SMS and EAFD were mixed at a C/O ratio of 0.8, the degree of Zn removal achieved 95% at 1100 °C, which is 150 °C lower than the reduction temperature of the EAFD-coke mixture (due to volatile matter (VM) in SMS). For the reduction of ZnO in EAFD, with the assistance of VM in SMS, the C/O ratio can be decreased from 0.8 to 0.16 at 1300 °C, achieving a high degree of Zn removal over 95%. In addition, the torrefaction of SMS increased the fixed carbon content and improved the Zn productivity at the same C/O ratio, reaching almost the same productivity as the coke sample (SMS torrefaction = 500 °C, C/O = 0.8, reduction = 1200 °C, Zn removal~99%). Finally, CO 2 emission reductions from the use of SMS were also estimated.

Convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was applied to determine local carbon concentrations in low-carbon transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steels. High-order Laue-zone (HOLZ) lines were experimentally obtained for comparison with simulation results. A new procedure for calculating carbon content is thus proposed. Retained austenite (RA) is classified into three types by morphology; the relationship between the carbon content and the corresponding RA morphology is discussed based on CBED results. Furthermore, results of X-Ray diffractometry measurements are also used for comparison., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

In this study, the effect of austenite grain size on acicular ferrite (AF) nucleation in low-carbon steel containing 13 ppm Mg is determined. The average austenite grain size was calculated using OM Leica software. Results show that the predicted and experimental values of austenite grain size are extremely close, with a deviation of less than 20 µm. AF formation is difficult to induce by either excessively small and large austenite grain sizes; that is, an optimal austenite grain size is required to promote AF nucleation probability. The austenite grain size of 164 µm revealed the highest capacity to induce AF formation. The effects of the maximum distance of carbon diffusion and austenite grain size on the microstructure of Mg-containing low carbon steel are also discussed. Next, the pinning ability of different inclusion types in low-carbon steel containing 22 Mg is determined. The in situ observation shows that not every inclusion could inhibit austenite grain migration; the inclusion type influences pinning ability. The grain mobility of each inclusion was calculated using in situ micrographs of confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) for micro-analysis. Results show that the austenite grain boundary can strongly be pinned by Mg-based inclusions. MnS inclusions are the least effective in pinning austenite grain boundary migration.

A pilot-scale single-stage anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (AFMBR) was firstly used in this study to treat cold-rolling emulsion wastewater from steel industry. It was continuously operated for 302 days with influent COD concentration of 860-1120 mg/L. Under a hydraulic retention time of 1.5 d, the average effluent COD concentration of 72 mg/L achieved corresponding 90% of COD removal. The permeate flux was varied between 1.7 and 2.9 L/m 2 /h during operation which decreased with increased biomass concentration inside AFMBR. The trans-membrane pressure (TMP) was generally around 35-40 kPa, however, it increased up to 60 kPa when volatile suspended solid increased to above 2.5 g/L. Both flux and TMP data reveal the importance of biomass control for AFMBR operation. Results from terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) show the genus Methanosaeta was dominant on GAC and it shared dominance with the genera Methanomethylovorans and Methanosarcina in suspended sludge., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Inclusion species formed in SS400 steel with Ce-addition was predicted by thermodynamic calculation. The analysis of the inclusion morphology and size distribution was carried out by applying Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Nano-Fe 3 O 4 particles were also found in cerium-deoxidized and -desulfurized steel and their shapes were nearly spherical. The complex Ce 2 O 3 inclusions covering a layer of 218 nm composed by several MnS particles with similar diffraction pattern. Most importantly, the complex Ce 2 O 3 characterized by using TEM diffraction is amorphous in the steel, indicating that Ce 2 O 3 formed in the liquid iron and then MnS segregated cling to it.

Intra-granular Acicular Ferrite (IAF), as one of the most well-known desirable microstructure of ferrite with a chaotic crystallographic orientation, can not only refine the microstructure and retard the propagation of cleavage crack but also provide excellent combination of strength and toughness in steel. The effect of adding cerium on microstructure and controlling proper cerium-based inclusions in order to improve properties in low-carbon commercial steel (SS400) were investigated. The type of inclusions can be controlled by changing S/O ratio and Ce content. Without Ce modification, MnS is a dominate inclusion. After adding Ce, the stable inclusion phases change from AlCeO 3 to Ce 2 O 2 S. The optimum amount of cerium, 0.0235 wt.%, lead in proper grain refinement and formation of cerium oxide, oxy-sulfide and sulfide inclusions. Having a high amount of cerium results in increasing the number of inclusions significantly as a result it cannot be effective enough and the inclusions will act like barriers for others. It is found that the inclusions with a size of about 4∼7 μm can serve as heterogeneous nucleation sites for AF formation. Thermodynamic calculations have been applied to predict the inclusion formation in this molten steel as well, which show a good agreement with experimental one.

This study investigated the influence of deformation on precipitation behaviour and microstructure change during annealing. Here, the prior deformation of high-chromium stainless steel was tensile deformation of 3%, 6% and 10%, and the specimens were then annealed at 700˚C for 10 h. The specimens were subsequently analyzed using backscattered electron image and electron backscattering diffraction measurements with SEM. Compared with the deformation microstructure, the grains revealed no preferred orientation. The precipitates of TiN and NbC were formed homogenously in the grain interior and at grain boundaries after annealing. Fine Laves phase precipitates were observed in grains and along subgrain boundaries as the deformation increased. Furthermore, the volume fraction of Laves phase increased, but the average particle diameter of precipitate was reduced as the deformation increased., (© 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.)

In the present study, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) techniques were applied to investigate the deformation pattern of coarse ferrite grains after being subjected to 3%, 6%, and 10% tensile deformation. Oligocrystals of Crofer ® 22H ferritic steel were obtained as experimental material at 1075°C for 22min annealing. Using kernel average misorientation (KAM) mapping obtained from EBSD, possible slip planes are (110), (101), (12-1) and (32-1) in grain A; (0-11), (-101), (-112), (1-21) in grain B; and (0-11), (1-21) and (11-2) in grain C. Combining ECCI and EBSD techniques enables us to identify two a 0 [11¯1]/2 edge dislocations that occur on the (110)[1-11] and (32-1)[1-11] slip systems for grain A, thereby breaking down Schmid's law., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Thermodynamic calculation has been applied to predict the inclusion formation in molten SS400 steel. When the Cerium addition in liquid iron is 70 ppm and the initial Oxygen and Sulphur are both 110 ppm, the formation of oxides containing Cerium would experience the transformation from Ce 2 O 3 to CeO 2 and also the formation of sulfides containing Cerium would experience the transformation from CeS to Ce 2 S 3 and then to Ce 3 S 4 . Below 2000 K the most thermodynamic stable matter is CeO 2 and the less thermodynamic stable inclusion is CeS. Only when the amount of [O] is extremely low and the amount of [S] and [Ce] is relatively high, Ce 2 S 3 has the possibility to form.

In this study, 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) was employed to enhance the antibacterial properties of material through silver doping. The results demonstrated that silver-doped 2205 DSS produces an excellent bacteria-inhibiting effect against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The antibacterial rates were 100% and 99.5%, respectively. Because the mutual solubility of silver and iron is very low in both the solid and liquid states, a silver-rich compound solidified and dispersed at the ferrite/austenite interface and the ferrite, austenite, and secondary austenite phases in silver-doped 2205 DSS. Doping 2205 DSS with silver caused the Creq/Nieq ratio of ferrite to decrease; however, the lower Creq/Nieq ratio promoted the rapid nucleation of γ2-austenite from primary α-ferrite. After 12h of homogenisation treatment at 1200 °C, the solubility of silver in the γ-austenite and α-ferrite phases can be increased by 0.10% and 0.09%, respectively. Moreover, silver doping was found to accelerate the dissolution of secondary austenite in a ferrite matrix during homogenisation., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Rare earth metals are used in semiconductors, solar cells and catalysts. This review focuses on the background of oxide metallurgy technologies, the chemical and physical properties of rare earth (RE) metals, the background of oxide metallurgy, the functions of RE metals in steelmaking, and the influences of RE metals on steel microstructures. Future prospects for RE metal applications in steelmaking are also presented.

Basic-oxygen furnace slag (BOF-slag) contains >35% CaO, a potential component for CO2 sequestration. In this study, slag-water-CO2 reaction experiments were conducted with the longest reaction duration extending to 96hr under high CO2 pressures of 100-300kg/cm(2) to optimize BOF-slag carbonation conditions, to address carbonation mechanisms, and to evaluate the extents of V and Cr release from slag carbonation. The slag carbonation degree generally reached the maximum values after 24hr slag-water-CO2 reaction and was controlled by slag particle size and reaction temperature. The maximum carbonation degree of 71% was produced from the experiment using fine slag of ≤0.5mm under 100°C and a CO2 pressure of 250kg/cm(2) with a water/slag ratio of 5. Vanadium release from the slag to water was significantly enhanced (generally >2 orders) by slag carbonation. In contrast, slag carbonation did not promote chromium release until the reaction duration exceeded 24hr. However, the water chromium content was generally at least an order lower than the vanadium concentration, which decreased when the reaction duration exceeded 24hr. Therefore, long reaction durations of 48-96hr are proposed to reduce environmental impacts while keeping high carbonation degrees. Mineral textures and water compositions indicated that Mg-wüstite, in addition to CaO-containing minerals, can also be carbonated. Consequently, the conventional expression that only considered carbonation of the CaO-containing minerals undervalued the CO2 sequestration capability of the BOF-slag by ~20%. Therefore, the BOF-slag is a better CO2 storage medium than that previously recognized., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The aim of this work was to study the characteristics of solid and liquid products from the torrefaction of oil palm fiber pellets (OPFP) in inert and oxidative environments. The torrefaction temperature and O2 concentration in the carrier gas were in the ranges of 275-350°C and 0-10 vol%, respectively, while the torrefaction duration was 30 min. The oxidative torrefaction of OPFP at 275°C drastically intensified the HHV of the biomass when compared to the non-oxidative torrefaction. OPFP torrefied at 300°C is recommended to upgrade the biomass, irrespective of the atmosphere. The HHV of condensed liquid was between 10.1 and 13.2 MJ kg(-)(1), and was promoted to 23.2-28.7 MJ kg(-)(1) following dewatering. This accounts for 92-139% improvement in the calorific value of the liquid. This reveals that the recovery of condensed liquid with dewatering is able to enhance the energy efficiency of a torrefaction system., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The high-gravity carbonation process for CO2 mineralization and product utilization as a green cement was evaluated using field operation data from the steelmaking industry. The effect of key operating factors, including rotation speed, liquid-to-solid ratio, gas flow rate, and slurry flow rate, on CO2 removal efficiency was studied. The results indicated that a maximal CO2 removal of 97.3% was achieved using basic oxygen furnace slag at a gas-to-slurry ratio of 40, with a capture capacity of 165 kg of CO2 per day. In addition, the product with different carbonation conversions (i.e., 0%, 17%, and 48%) was used as supplementary cementitious materials in blended cement at various substitution ratios (i.e., 0%, 10%, and 20%). The performance of the blended cement mortar, including physicochemical properties, morphology, mineralogy, compressive strength, and autoclave soundness, was evaluated. The results indicated that the mortar with a high carbonation conversion of slag exhibited a higher mechanical strength in the early stage than pure portland cement mortar, suggesting its suitability for use as a high early strength cement. It also possessed superior soundness compared to the mortar using fresh slag. Furthermore, the optimal operating conditions of the high-gravity carbonation were determined by response surface models for maximizing CO2 removal efficiency and minimizing energy consumption.

Effects of Ag doping and thermal annealing temperature on thermoelectric transport properties of Bi2(Se,Te)3 compounds are investigated. On the basis of the comprehensive analysis of carrier concentration, Hall mobility, and lattice parameter, we identified two Ag-related interstitial (Agi) and substitutional (AgBi) defects that modulate in different ways the thermoelectric properties of Ag-doped Bi2(Se,Te)3 compounds. When Ag content is less than 0.5 wt %, Agi plays an important role in stabilizing crystal structure and suppressing the formation of donor-like Te vacancy (VTe) defects, leading to the decrease in carrier concentration with increasing Ag content. For the heavily doped Bi2(Se,Te)3 compounds (>0.5 wt % Ag), the increasing concentration of AgBi is held responsible for the increase of electron concentration because formation of AgBi defects is accompanied by annihilation of hole carriers. The analysis of Seebeck coefficients and temperature-dependent electrical properties suggests that electrons in Ag-doped Bi2(Se,Te)3 compounds are subject to a mixed mode of impurity scattering and lattice scattering. A 10% enhancement of thermoelectric figure-of-merit at room temperature was achieved for 1 wt % Ag-doped Bi2(Se,Te)3 as compared to pristine Bi2(Se,Te)3.

This study aims to develop a new osmotic membrane bioreactor by combining a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with forward osmosis membrane bioreactor (FOMBR) to treat wastewater. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt coupled with polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether was used as an innovative draw solution in this membrane hybrid system (MBBR-OsMBR) for minimizing the reverse salt flux and maintaining a healthy environment for the microorganism community. The results showed that the hybrid system achieved a stable water flux of 6.94 L/m(2) h and low salt accumulation in the bioreactor for 68 days of operation. At a filling rate of 40% (by volume of the bioreactor) of the polyethylene balls used as carriers, NH4(+)-N and PO4(3-)-P were almost removed (>99%) while producing relatively low NO3(-)-N and NO2(-)-N in the effluent (e.g. <0.56 and 0.96 mg/L, respectively). Furthermore, from analysis based on scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence emission-excitation matrix spectrophotometry, there was a thin gel-like fouling layer on the FO membrane, which composed of bacteria as well as biopolymers and protein-like substances. Nonetheless, the formation of these fouling layers of the FO membrane in MBBR-OsMBR was reversible and removed by a physical cleaning technique., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The biomass and lipid productivity of Chlorella sp. MTF-15 cultivated using aeration with flue gases from a coke oven, hot stove or power plant in a steel plant of the China Steel Corporation in Taiwan were investigated. Using the flue gas from the coke oven, hot stove or power plant for cultivation, the microalgal strain obtained a maximum specific growth rate and lipid production of (0.827 d(-1), 0.688 g L(-1)), (0.762 d(-1), 0.961 g L(-1)), and (0.728 d(-1), 0.792 g L(-1)), respectively. This study demonstrated that Chlorella sp. MTF-15 could efficiently utilize the CO₂, NOX and SO₂ present in the different flue gases. The results also showed that the growth potential, lipid production and fatty acid composition of the microalgal strain were dependent on the composition of the flue gas and on the operating strategy deployed., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To evaluate the utility potential of pretreated biomass in blast furnaces, the fuel properties, including fuel ratio, ignition temperature, and burnout, of bamboo, oil palm, rice husk, sugarcane bagasse, and Madagascar almond undergoing torrefaction and carbonization in a rotary furnace are analyzed and compared to those of a high-volatile coal and a low-volatile one used in pulverized coal injection (PCI). The energy densities of bamboo and Madagascar almond are improved drastically from carbonization, whereas the increase in the calorific value of rice husk from the pretreatment is not obvious. Intensifying pretreatment extent significantly increases the fuel ratio and ignition temperature of biomass, but decreases burnout. The fuel properties of pretreated biomass materials are superior to those of the low-volatile coal. For biomass torrefied at 300°C or carbonized at temperatures below 500°C, the pretreated biomass can be blended with coals for PCI., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The reaction characteristics of four biomass materials (i.e. oil palm fiber, coconut fiber, eucalyptus, and Cryptomeria japonica) with non-oxidative and oxidative torrefaction at various superficial velocities are investigated where nitrogen and air are used as carrier gases. Three torrefaction temperatures of 250, 300, and 350 °C are considered. At a given temperature, the solid yield of biomass is not affected by N2 superficial velocity, revealing that the thermal degradation is controlled by heat and mass transfer in biomass. Increasing air superficial velocity decreases the solid yield, especially in oil palm fiber and coconut fiber, implying that the torrefaction reaction of biomass is dominated by surface oxidation. There exists an upper limit of air superficial velocity in the decrement of solid yield, suggesting that beyond this limit the thermal degradation of biomass is no longer governed by surface oxidation, but rather is controlled by internal mass transport., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study applied thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique to investigate the adsorption kinetics of vapor-phase mercury chloride (HgCl 2 ) on activated carbon. HgCl 2 is mainly emitted from the incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) and causes severe adverse effects on human health and environment. Activated carbon injection (ACI) is the best available control technology for mercury removal from the flue gas of MSW incinerators. To investigate the adsorption of HgCl 2 on activated carbons, TGA was used to determine the adsorptive capacity and adsorption isotherm of vapor-phase HgCl 2 on spherical activated carbons (SACs) with the adsorption temperatures of 30-150 °C and the influent HgCl 2 concentrations of 50-1000 μg/m 3 . Experimental results indicated that the Freundlich adsorption coefficient, n, was determined as 0.40 and 1.2 for the adsorption temperatures of 30 and 150 °C, respectively. The adsorption of HgCl 2 on SACs was at a favorable equilibrium at 30 °C and an unfavorable equilibrium at 150 °C. The Freundlich isotherm simulated the adsorptive experimental data better than the Langmuir isotherm. Furthermore, a new approach was proposed to modify the adsorption kinetic model based on pore diffusion scheme describing the transport of HgCl 2 molecules within the inner pores of carbon grains for high-temperature adsorption. Model simulation successfully fitted the adsorptive experimental data by varying effective diffusivity and the Freundlich adsorption coefficient, n.

This work was undertaken to investigate the cause of sludge acidification that led to disruption of the activated sludge process treating coking wastewater from a steel-making plant in Taiwan. An activated sludge reactor (ASR) with a working volume of 80 L was used as a model system to simulate the behavior of the real wastewater treatment process. Parameters that may cause acidification or inactivation of the sludge (NH(3), SCN(-), S(2)O(3)(2-) and CN(-)) were studied individually to examine for their effects on the performance of the ASR. The results show that high loading of NH(3), SCN(-) and CN(-) did not lead to pH decrease, while the ASR attained 85% COD removal and nearly 100% SCN degradation. In contrast, when the wastewater was supplemented with ca. 1,000 mg/L of S(2)O(3)(2-), the pH dropped to nearly 4.0 in 2 days and the COD and SCN removal yields were significantly lower (at 50 and 0-20%, respectively). Thus, overloading of S(2)O(3)(2-) was apparently a key factor causing sludge acidification. The results suggest that to ensure a normal functioning of the activated sludge, the influent S(2)O(3)(2-) concentration should be closely monitored and that the pH control of the ASR is indispensable when the S(2)O(3)(2-) loading is in excess.