Visualizing Initial Solidification (2010)

J. Sengupta, K. Thomas

Animations of the meniscus region of continuous casting with mold flux showing the phenomena occuring during inital solidification:

• Oscillating mold with attached solid slag rim in upper left corner
• Solidifying steel shell moving downwards at the casting speed.
• Liquid steel pool with turbulent flow in the liquid steel pool causing level variations at the interface with the liquid slab
• Steel is supported by interfacial surface tension that bulges to touch the mold wall and solidify forming an oscillation mark

With Hook:

Solidification of the meniscus region causes a detrimental "hook" to form, which moves down with the solidifying shell and may capture defects.

Without Hook:

Oscillation mark forms with no hook if liquid temperatures are high enough.

Level Drop Real Time

Drop in the steel liquid level caused by turbulent flow variations exposes the inside of the solidifying shell to liquid slag, which can allow a slag droplet to be captured into the final product as a sliver defect.

Level Drop 1/3 speed and 1/9 speed

Slowing down the video allows the events during the level fluctuation to be seen more clearly.