Deformation and Structure Difference of Steel Droplets during Initial Solidification

The surface quality of slabs is closely related with the initial solidification at very first seconds of molten steel near meniscus in mold during continuous casting. The solidification, structure, and free deformation for given steels have been investigated in droplet experiments by aid of Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope. It is observed that the appearances of solidified shells for high carbon steels and some hyper-peritectic steels with high carbon content show lamellar, while that for other steels show spherical. Convex is formed along the chilling direction for most steels, besides some occasions that concave is formed for high carbon steel at times. The deformation degree decreases gradually in order of hypo-peritectic steel, ultra-low carbon steel, hyper-peritectic steel, low carbon steel, and high carbon steel, which is consistent with the solidification shrinkage in macroscope during continuous casting. Additionally, the microstructure of solidified shell of hypo-peritectic steel is bainite, while that of hyper-peritectic steel is martensite.