Influence of rare earth elements on the crystallization of carbon steel

Conclusions

• 1. Modification of St. 3 steel with rare earth metals of the Ce subgroup changes the character of the crystallization of the ingot. In the outer area there are no columnar dendrites and the structure is more uniform. Small inclusions of sulfur are distributed along the axes of dendrites, while large inclusions are located in the interaxial space.

• 2. The addition of 0.20% Ce displaces sulfur from the boundaries of the grains, which increases the ductility and the plasticity of the steel at high temperatures. When the concentration of cerium is high (0.4% Ce) then the modification of the steel leads to the precipitation of sulfides along the grain boundaries, which has a negative effect on the properties of the steel.