COMBINED INFLUENCE OF SILICON CONTENT AND OXYGEN CONCENTRATION ON THE OXIDATION PROCESS OF SILICON-CONTAINING STEELS.

The combined influence of silicon content and oxygen concentration on silicon-containing steels was investigated, via a heating route similar to that applied in the industrial reheating process, using a Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer (STA). Four different oxygen concentrations and three different isothermal holding times were designed. The results show that the effect of silicon on the mass gain depends on the oxygen concentration and the oxidation time. The mass gain of low-silicon steel is greater than that of high-silicon steel at 1260°C in the oxygen concentrations of 1.0 vol.% and 2.0 vol.%, even when the isothermal holding time is 90 minutes. However, there is a critical time point for mass gain in oxygen concentrations ≥3.0 vol.%. The mass gain of lowsilicon steel is greater before and smaller after this critical point. The critical time is deferred with decreasing oxygen concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]