Review on desulfurization in electroslag remelting

Electroslag remelting (ESR) gives a combination of liquid metal refining and solidification structure control. One of the typical aspects of liquid metal refining during ESR for the advanced steel and alloy production is desulfurization. It involves two patterns, i.e., slag–metal reaction and gas–slag reaction (gasifying desulfurization). In this paper, the advances in desulfurization practices of ESR are reviewed. The effects of processing parameters, including the initial sulfur level of consumable electrode, remelting atmosphere, deoxidation schemes of ESR, slag composition, melting rate, and electrical parameters on the desulfurization in ESR are assessed. The interrelation between desulfurization and sulfide inclusion evolution during ESR is discussed, and advancements in the production of sulfur-bearing steel at a high-sulfur level during ESR are described. The remaining challenges for future work are also proposed.