Abstract:
In combination with theoretical calculations, experiments were conducted to investigate the evolution behavior of nonmetallic inclusions (NMIs) during the manufacture of large-scale heat-resistant steel ingots using 9CrMoCoB heat-resistant steel and CaF
2–CaO–Al
2O
3–SiO
2–B
2O
3 electroslag remelting (ESR)-type slag in an 80-t industrial ESR furnace. The main types of NMI in the consumable electrode comprised pure alumina, a multiphase oxide consisting of an Al
2O
3 core and liquid CaO–Al
2O
3–SiO
2–MnO shell, and M
23C
6 carbides with an MnS core. The Al
2O
3 and MnS inclusions had higher precipitation temperatures than the M
23C
6-type carbide under equilibrium and nonequilibrium solidification processes. Therefore, inclusions can act as nucleation sites for carbide layer precipitation. The ESR process completely removed the liquid CaO–Al
2O
3–SiO
2–MnO oxide and MnS inclusion with a carbide shell, and only the Al
2O
3 inclusions and Al
2O
3 core with a carbide shell occupied the remelted ingot. The M
23C
6-type carbides in steel were determined as Cr
23C
6 based on the analysis of transmission electron microscopy results. The substitution of Cr with W, Fe, or/and Mo in the Cr
23C
6 lattice caused slight changes in the lattice parameter of the Cr
23C
6 carbide. Therefore, Cr
21.34Fe
1.66C
6, (Cr
19W
4)C
6, Cr
18.4Mo
4.6C
6, and Cr
16Fe
5Mo
2C
6 can match the fraction pattern of Cr
23C
6 carbide. The Al
2O
3 inclusions in the remelted ingot formed due to the reduction of CaO, SiO
2, and MnO components in the liquid inclusion. The increased Al content in liquid steel or the higher supersaturation degree of Al
2O
3 precipitation in the remelted ingot than that in the electrode can be attributed to the evaporation of CaF
2 and the increase in CaO content in the ESR-type slag.